Delhi CM and his Cabinet cancelled an emergency meeting following the suicide of ex-serviceman Ram Kishen Grewal over dues
On a day when Delhiites continued to suffer from the rising air pollution levels, politics took over with the Chief Minister and his Cabinet cancelling an emergency meeting called earlier during the day following the suicide of ex-serviceman Ram Kishen Grewal. He was protesting against the delayed implementation of the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had tweeted earlier during the day, informing about an urgent meeting with his cabinet of ministers on how to combat the rising levels of pollution in the city.
While Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was among the first to reach to Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital to console Grewal’s grieving family, the list of those who joined the list of the consoles included Kejriwal, Labour Minister Gopal Rai, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.
Drama also unfolded outside the RML with Gandhi being detained twice as he tried to meet Grewal’s family, only to be released in the evening. Gandhi’s detainment came minutes after Sisodia and his party MLA Surinder Singh were stopped and detained from outside RML.
Meanwhile, a video clip of Gandhi also made its way, with the Vice President questioning the police officials on the detainment of Grewal’s son. “Do you not feel ashamed? He is a son of an army veteran, he is his father, and you are arresting them?” Gandhi told policemen, pointing towards deceased Ram Kishan Grewal’s son and father. “What is your name? You think the family of India’s martyr should be arrested?,” Gandhi asked a senior police officer at Mandir Marg police station, where he was taken after being detained.
Kejriwal was also stopped from entering Lady Hardinge Hospital, where Grewal’s body was kept for post-mortem analysis. He had later tweeted informing that he too had been detained, saying he had no idea where he was being taken. Earlier during the day, Kejriwal had said “A martyr’s family is arrested. This is PM Narendra Modi India.”
Another tweet by Kejriwal
read: “Spoke to his (the retired soldier’s) son just now. He said he was manhandled by police.” The government however continued to remain quiet on the issue of pollution.
The state government has been stressing upon the need to tackle the growing air pollution and had recently announced a multiple phase solution to combat pollution including vacuuming of roads, chimneys at crematoriums to trap the emissions, air purifiers and mist fountains at major intersections on PWD roads.
The much acclaimed experiment, the vehicular rationing scheme of Odd-Even, was also a brainchild of the Delhi CM. While he had introduced the scheme during November on 2015, officials in the state government said something similar was on cards on Wednesday.
Sources said that the Kejriwal was expected to make some important announcements with regards to the pollution before he decided to visit the Grewal family at RML Hospital. Environment Minister Imran Hussain, however, refused to comment on the issue.
Delhi has been battling with severe pollution conditions. As per data available on SAFAR’s website, an agency of Earth Sciences Ministry, air quality remained severe with Pm 2.5 being reported at 492 mg/cubic meter, whereas Pm 10 remained 468 mg/cubic meter, several times above the normal limits.
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