An ex-serviceman allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison over the issue of One Rank One Pension scheme (OROP) in New Delhi.

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"Democracy does not mean causing obstruction at the hospital," he said.

"Despite all our advice, Rahul Gandhi came to the hospital. He, along with other Congress leaders, has been detained," he added.

Delhi Police official MK Meena confirmed that Rahul Gandhi has been detained. "First, AAP leaders came. AAP leaders were detained because there was a lot of disturbance. Congress leaders were not allowed," Meena said.

Singh also reiterated what Kejriwal said in his video message earlier about the government reducing the disability pension for the army personnel.

"This is an attitude of the goondagardi of the government," he said.

"There were told lies by the government on the OROP issue," he said. "The Delhi Deputy CM cannot go to express sadness over an incident in the nation."

"This is an example of tanashahi by the Narendra Modi government. The people who gave 30 years of their life for the nation have been sitting on a dharna for the last year and a half," said AAP's Sanjay Singh.

This is an attitude of goondagardi by the government: AAP

Rahul also spoke to the family members who were detained with him in the police station.

"You have arrested the family members of a martyr. Do you have no shame?" Rahul Gandhi told a Delhi police official in the Mandir Marg police station. "What kind of work are you doing?" he said.

"We were beaten up. Police officials abused us and beat us up," he added.

"My family members were arrested," Ram Grewal's son said in the police station.

Ram Grewal's son says his family members were beaten up in the police station

"Should the police arrest those who have been detained? We had to delay our cabinet meeting because of this. This is goondagardi being done by the government," he said.

"I have come to meet the family members (of Grewal). They are indulging in politics," he said.

"The army is being misused politically," Kejriwal said.

"Surgical strikes were conducted. But instead of rewarding the army, the government reduced the disability pension and downgraded their ranks," he said, repeating what he said in his video message.

"This is very unfortunate that a veteran had to commit suicide inside our country," said Arvind Kejriwal. "PM Modi is traveling across the nation and lying to the people. If OROP had really been implemented, why would Ram Grewal need to commit suicide?" he added.

"Under which law do you have to take permission to meet the families?"

"Do we have a right to meet our ex-servicemen, their families? You don't need permission to go to a hospital. We are not living in a police state," he further said.

"In the police station, the police have used force against the family members. His family has been treated in a very cruel manner," he said. "This shows the kind of attitude the government has. They are abusing their authority."

"His family had called Rahul Gandhi. They wanted to meet him. They were dragged from the parking lot in the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. It is illegal detention," said Congress leader Anand Sharma.

We are not living in a police state: Congress

The way things unfolded outside the hospital today has no precedence. The Congress vice-president, Delhi chief minister and deputy chief minister of Delhi were detained by Delhi police when they were trying to enter the hospital to meet the family of Ram Kishan Grewal, who committed suicide on Tuesday.

After Rahul Gandhi and Manish Sisodia, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was detained by the Delhi police at Lady Hardinge Hospital.

"Na police station le ja rahein hain, na andar jane de rahein hain. Aadhe ghante se yahin baithe hain. Mujhe bataya ki Section 144 ki wajah se detain kiya hai humein. (They are neither taking me to the police station nor letting me go to the protest site. We have been sitting here for half an hour. They told you security reasons, and they told me Section 144 is behind my detention). The way the police behaved with Subedar Grewal's family - they kicked them, slapped them, beat them up, abused them - this affects the morale of the Army. I just want the government to apologise to the family of Ram Kishan Grewal for all the ill-treatment. Mera kya hai, main toh yahin baitha rahunga. (I have nothing else to do, I will keep sitting here)"

TV footage shows that quite a drama is unfolding at the protest site in Delhi at Jantar Mantar. An ANI reporter speaking to Rahul Gandhi asked the Congress vice-president why was he not allowed inside, was it because of security reasons? Here is what Rahul said:

We had given notice to Delhi police for this march, this was a peaceful march: R Surjewala #OROPDeathPolitics

Congress Rahul Gandhi has been detained, R Surjewala says the party strongly condemn the detention #OROPDeathPolitics

Its almost half an hour and we are still here in the car. Way the family was treated and dragged, Govt should apologise for it: Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/o1mp4tNE67

Have been inside car for past half an hour, not letting us out; nt even taking us to PS; was told we were removed bcz of Sec144:Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/NAaNonBvIT

We are asked to remain in the car by police, they are not telling where are they going to take us now: Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/B3ao1HB0SG

"Na police station le ja rahein hain, na andar jane de rahein hain. Aadhe ghante se yahin baithe hain. Mujhe bataya ki Section 144 ki wajah se detain kiya hai humein. (They are neither taking me to the police station nor letting me go to the protest site. We have been sitting here for half an hour. They told you security reasons, and they told me Section 144 is behind my detention). The way the police behaved with Subedar Grewal's family - they kicked them, slapped them, beat them up, abused them - this affects the morale of the Army. I just want the government to apologise to the family of Ram Kishan Grewal for all the ill-treatment. Mera kya hai, main toh yahin baitha rahunga. (I have nothing else to do, I will keep sitting here)"

TV footage shows that quite a drama is unfolding at the protest site in Delhi at Jantar Mantar. An ANI reporter speaking to Rahul Gandhi asked the Congress vice-president why was he not allowed inside, was it because of security reasons? Here is what Rahul said:

#WATCH : Rahul Gandhi speaks to ANI after detention from protest site,says 'have been in car for past half an hour,police not letting us out' pic.twitter.com/sCBt2XNmDG

Its almost half an hour and we are still here in the car. Way the family was treated and dragged, Govt should apologise for it: Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/o1mp4tNE67

Have been inside car for past half an hour, not letting us out; nt even taking us to PS; was told we were removed bcz of Sec144:Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/NAaNonBvIT

Clash between police and Congress workers protesting over Rahul Gandhi's detention in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/RRxEuHucb6

Congress workers stage a protest against the detention of party VP Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/QKFLSImOGr

Congress workers stage a protest against the detention of Rahul Gandhi in Delhi

Delhi: Rahul Gandhi taken from Feroz Shah Road in the PCR van pic.twitter.com/0CPcpxL7Mu

Senior Congress leader Raj Babbar slammed the Centre for its crackdown on "peaceful" protesters and said that Rahul Gandhi's detention is a good indicator of which way the country is going.

JUST IN | Rahul Gandhi taken to Tughlak Road police station #OROPDeathPolitics

I want the PM to assure me that he will address concerns on OROP: Rahul Gandhi to @_pallavighosh #OROPDeathPolitics

An ex-serviceman allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison over the issue of One Rank One Pension scheme (OROP) in New Delhi.

The 70-year-old ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal from Haryana's Bhiwani district ended his life in the lawns behind the Jawahar Bhavan, which houses the Ministry of External Affairs, on Tuesday evening.

Police said he along with three of his companions had come to the city apparently to submit a memorandum to the Defence Ministry over the issue of OROP.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said he was saddened over the death of Grewal.

"Saddened by the death of subedar Ram Kishen Grewal. I express my heartfelt condolences. I have asked officials to provide me with details," Parrikar said in a tweet.

According to his friends, Grewal, who served in the Army and the Defence Security Corps for 30 years, had been upset over the issue for sometime.

Defence Ministry sources said as per records, no request for appointment with Parrikar was made.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the suicide of an ex-serviceman here, saying both farmers and soldiers were ending their lives in his regime.

Kejriwal, a bitter critic of Modi, also alleged that the Prime Minister was "lying" that the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme was being implemented by the Centre, contending that ex-serviceman, Ram Kishan Grewal, would not have committed suicide if the scheme was being executed by the Centre.

A group of ex-servicemen led by Major General Satbir Singh (Retd) have been protesting against the OROP scheme introduced by the government.

He is now an advisor to a new political party, Fauji Janta Party, which will fight in the upcoming Punjab Assembly Polls.

The alleged suicide came just days after a one-man judicial committee on OROP submitted its report to Parrikar.

The Centre, which has implemented the OROP, a demand which had been pending for decades, had appointed the committee under the Chairmanship of Justice L Narasimha Reddy, retired Chief Justice of Patna High Court to look into the anomalies, if any, arising out of implementation of OROP.

The Ministry is currently studying the report and sources had said it will take a decision soon.

The ex-serviceman have been holding protests at Jantar Mantar, Delhi's designated site for protests, to demand changes in OROP. Protesters say four of their primary conditions have not been met by the government.

The main demands are revision of pension every year rather than the five years as decided by the government and OROP being extended to pre-mature retirees.

Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar said he is anguished by the suicide of Grewal of 105 Infantry Btn (TA) and DSC.

"He died at Jantar Mantar where veterans have protested in the past and some continue to protest despite my calls to call off the protest. My deepest condolences to his family and his friends," he said in a statement.

The MP urged Parrikar to urgently resolve the outstanding issues/anomalies of OROP and also the 7th Central Pay Commission that continue to agitate and worry those serving and the veterans.

"I urge him, as I have done repeatedly, to involve direct representation from the armed forces in resolving these issues and not leave it only to the bureaucrats and to do so urgently," he said.

With inputs from PTI