Cong didn't allow OROP, it got implemented when Modi came to power: PM in UP

After this, meetings of ex-servicemen were organized all over the country and the shahzade apparently hinting at Rahul Gandhi went there and danced saying OROP, OROP, Modi said.Slamming the Congress over the issue, he alleged that the party had the expertise of delaying works and snatching rights.They did not allow our jawans to get One Rank, One Pension.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, accusing the party of not allowing the soldiers to get 'One Rank, One Pension'.

At an election rally in Ghazipur, he alleged that the Congress ridiculed the ''tapasya'' (penance) of the soldiers and made several attempts to fool them.

''In 2013, after I was declared the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, my first rally was with ex-servicemen in Haryana's Rewari. There, I said that I would implement OROP (One Rank, One Pension) and the Congress people got frightened.

''They hurriedly earmarked Rs 500 crore in the budget (for OROP) and said that they will implement OROP. After this, meetings of ex-servicemen were organized all over the country and the 'shahzade' (apparently hinting at Rahul Gandhi) went there and danced (saying) OROP, OROP,'' Modi said.

Slamming the Congress over the issue, he alleged that the party ''had the expertise of delaying works and snatching rights''.

''They did not allow our jawans to get 'One Rank, One Pension'. It was implemented when Modi came (to power),'' he said. Modi claimed that after he became prime minister, he was ''shocked over how the Congress betrayed the Army'' and described the allocation of Rs 500 crore for OROP as ''tokenism''.

''I said that I want to implement OROP. You will be surprised that after gathering information for implementing OROP, till now Rs 1.25 lakh crore have been deposited in the accounts of ex-servicemen,'' the prime minister asserted.

He asked the gathering whether is it not ''cheating and insult'' to ex-servicemen that the Congress did the ''drama'' of earmarking Rs 500 crore for OROP when the actual need was Rs 1.25 lakh crore.

Asserting that Ghazipur tells the tales of valour and bravery, Modi said, ''Ghazipur and Gamhar village -- the names are enough as brave soldiers emerge from every house. Has any place other than Ghazipur have this honour? The entire country is indebted to this land.'' Hitting out at the opposition, Modi said, ''Leaders of the 'parivarvadi' (dynastic) parties kept on building palace after palace. But, the poor, farmers, labourers and Dalits were deprived and they struggled to meet their small needs.'' The prime minister hit out at the opposition over the reservation issue and said, ''The INDI alliance is standing together in looting the reservation of SCs, STs and OBC. But Modi is standing in front of them with his chest puffed up and I guarantee that as long as Modi is alive, I will not let them snatch away reservation of SCs, STs and OBCs.'' ''I will not let them play games based on religion,'' he said, adding, ''Modi is the watchman of the rights of the deprived.'' Taking a dig at Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Modi said, ''SP's 'shahzade' (prince) once said that he would stop the entry of mafia. Then he went and sat at the feet of the mafia. The SP also nurtured the mafia and gave them (poll) tickets.'' ''During the SP rule (in Uttar Pradesh), the situation was such that the mafia used to roam around with red beacons (on their cars).. and opponents were shot dead openly. Riots had become the identity of UP. There were two-three riots every month during the SP rule,'' he alleged.

''The poor were the ones who suffered because of this. Now under Yogi (Adityanath) Ji's government, riots have stopped and rioters are behind bars.'' Modi claimed that the welfare schemes of his government have changed the lives of the poor.

''In just 10 years, 25 crore people have come out of poverty. This happened because your vote strengthened Modi. We provided PM housing to four crore families. We opened bank accounts for 50 crore poor people and provided electricity to every village. We are providing water to every home. Today a poor person does not have to sell his land for treatment because he has an Ayushman card.'' In the Ghazipur Lok Sabha seat, the main contest is between Afzal Ansari of the Samajwadi Party and Paras Nath Rai of the BJP. Voting for the seat will take place in the seventh phase on June 1. Afzal Ansari is the brother of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari who died on March 28.