'PM committed Parliamentary impropriety'

A day after locking horns with Manmohan Singh during the Presidential Address debate, senior BJP leader LK Advani today said the Prime Minister had breached Parliamentary propriety by making "false" claims that enhanced pension announced for army personnel had been met.

A day after locking horns with Manmohan Singh during the Presidential Address debate, senior BJP leader LK Advani today said the Prime Minister had breached Parliamentary propriety by making "false" claims that enhanced pension announced for army personnel had been met.

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"Advani informed BJP MPs about PM's claim in Lok Sabha yesterday that the government had implemented its decision on enhancement of pension to JCOs and jawans. No JCO or jawan has received any such orders. This is a very serious matter of Parliamentary impropriety," senior party leader M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters, quoting Advani.

Advani, who is chairman of BJP Parliamentary Party, was speaking at a meeting of the BJP MPs in New Delhi. He cited a letter written by Maj Gen (Retd.) Satbir Singh, vice chairman, Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement, where the latter had mentioned the July 6, 2009 order.

Manmohan Singh had intervened several times on Wednesday while Advani was replying to the Presidential Address in the Lok Sabha, including on the issue of enhancement of pension to ex-servicemen.

Advani on Wednesday pointed to Singh's Independence Day speech in which he had referred to steps regarding the
demand of ex-servicemen relating to 'one rank one pay'.

Singh said whatever promises have been made were delivered by the government and that Advani "should not
create a rift between the Services and the government".

"Advani said that the Prime Minister should have studied the matter properly and then spoken on it. This
impropriety should be taken seriously," Naidu said.

Government had earmarked Rs 2100 crore per year for the benefit of 12 lakh JCOs and jawans.