Army veteran Colonel Pushpender, on fast-unto-death for One Rank One Pension, rushed to hospital

Army veteran Colonel Pushpender, who is on fast unto death demanding the implementation of One Rank One Pension scheme, was on Monday rushed to a hospital after his condition deteriorated.

Colonel Pushpendra, who is a diabetic, has been on hunger strike since August 16, along with two other ex-servicemen.

Another veteran, Havaldar Saheb Singh of Rajputana Rifles, has reportedly replaced Colonel Pushpendra on hunger strike.

"The doctor who examined him today, said his ketone level has increased and he needs to be immediately shifted. Col Singh was reluctant but we persuaded him to be moved to the hospital," said Major General Satbir Singh, Chairman of the Indian Ex-servicemen Movement. High levels of ketones are toxic to the body.

"I will come back and continue my fast. I am not ready to go but the people here want me to to as they say high ketone level will affect brain functioning," Col Pushpender said adding that government should immediately implement the long pending issue of OROP so that the soldiers on hunger strike can end the protest.

This comes a day before the army veterans are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue, which has caused much embarrassment to the government.

Three ex-servicemen Colonel (retired) Pushpender Singh of 3 Grenadiers, Havaldar Major Singh of 3 Sikh Light Infantry and Havaldar (retired) Ashok Chauhan of Signals regiment are on a fast unto death after PM Modi failed to announce the implementation of the scheme during his Independence Day speech.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is also slated to meet the veteran, had earlier said that there were "technical difficulties" in implementing the scheme but had insisted that government will fulfil the "assurance" made to the ex-servicemen in this regard.

Asserting that NDA government was committed to implementing OROP, Parrikar had said it was working to fulfil the long-pending demand of the ex-servicemen.

Close to 22 lakh ex-servicemen and over six lakh war widows stand to be the immediate beneficiaries of the scheme, which envisages a uniform pension for the defence personnel who retire in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement. Currently, the pension for ex-servicemen is based on the Pay Commission recommendations of the time when they had retired.

(With PTI Inputs)