Ex-soldier who committed suicide was a ‘Congress worker’, says V.K. Singh

New Delhi, Nov 3 (IANS) A day after questioning ex-soldier Ram Kishan Grewal’s "mental state", former Army Chief General V.K. Singh, now union minister, on Thursday said Grewal was a Congress worker and his suicide was not related to One Rank One Pension (OROP).

"He was a Congress worker and had become a village body head on a Congress ticket," the Minister of State for External Affairs told reporters.

Singh said he was "saddened" by the death of Grewal but "it is not related to OROP".

The BJP leader said all facts needed to be investigated because "I don’t know the political reasons" behind his suicide.

"His issue was with the bank and not with OROP," Singh said, and asked how Grewal managed to procure sulphate tablets to end his life.

The retired four-star general on Wednesday triggered controversy when he questioned the "mental state" of the former Rajputana Rifles subedar.

Grewal consumed poison at a Delhi park on Tuesday evening demanding the immediate implementation of OROP scheme, which, among other measures, is meant to ensure equal pension to retired soldiers who served with the same rank and for the same duration, regardless of the year of retirement.