CHANDIGARH: Congress today demanded that army veteran Ram Kishan Grewal, who allegedly committed suicide over OROP issue, be accorded the status of a martyr, but Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said as he had committed suicide, such a move would not be appropriate.
Haryana Congress Legislature Party leader Kiran Choudhary had raised a demand in this regard during a special session of the state Assembly which met here today as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the state's formation. Haryana was carved out as a separate state from the then joint Punjab on November 1, 1966.
When Obituary Resolution was moved in the House, Choudhary asked for Grewal's name to be included in the list of martyrs. However, Khattar told the Assembly that the army veteran had committed suicide and including his name among the martyrs won't be appropriate.
"Wrong tradition" should not be set in the House on the martyr issue, he said. Yesterday, Khattar when asked whether Haryana would declare the ex-serviceman as martyr, had said only those who lay down their lives at the border are declared martyrs.
Leader of Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala asked, "When objection has been raised to the demand of the Congress member (over martyr status), then the Chief Minister should tell why a sum of Rs 10 lakh and a job to one member of the army veteran's family has been promised."
Responding to this, Khattar said, "We have full sympathy with the bereaved family..." On this, Chautala sought to know whether the government will show the "same sympathy" to the youths who die in road accidents and suitably compensate their families in the same manner. The Obituary Motion was adopted by the house without incorporating the demand of the opposition.