New Delhi: In the first-ever ruckus in the new Lok Sabha on Thursday, the Congress members rushed into the well raising slogans against the government surreptitiously slapping tax on the disability pension of the military personnel.
Congress group leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised the issue during the zero hour and his party colleagues rushed into the well to raise slogans like "Sena ko nayay do'' (Give justice to Army) and ''sena ke naam pe vote mangana band karo'' (stop asking votes in the name of Army).
A stunned Defence Minister Rajnath Singh jumped to his feet to assure the House to look into the issue and sort out the complication created by a circular from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
He asserted that the Modi government will do nothing that hurts the defence personnel, recognising their services to the nation. "I will look into the issue. The ministry is gathering information and will get back with details to the House," he said.
He went on to point out how the government sorted out the issue of "one rank, one pension" on which the people were kept in dark for the last 40 years and misled and it was only the Modi government that brought it into force.
The defence minister said his government’s highest priority is for defence preparedness and the interests of the jawans and so the Opposition should not cast unnecessary aspersions.
The issue has been brought to his knowledge just now and he be allowed to share the right information after getting it, he said.
Speaker Om Birla was angry with the Congress members for disturbing the new members trying to speak during the zero hour. Chowdhury assured him that he should give chance to the new members to speak not once but hundred times but the issue that angered his party colleague was so serious that they created the ruckus when he was not allowed to speak.
