Congress opposes pension scheme for JP movement participants

Patna, May 3 (UNI) Congress leaders staged a dharna here today to protest the decision of the Bihar government to give monthly pension to those who participated in 1974-77 JP movement launched against imposition of Emergency in the seventies.

Addressing party workers, president of State Congress Workers' forum Vikash Krishna Singh dubbed the decision as 'unconstitutional' and urged the Bihar government not to move ahead with the proposal.

''The NDA government has exposed its dictatorial face by announcing pension scheme for the participants of the JP movement'', Mr Singh maintained.

''If the Nitish government remains adamant on its decision of monthly pension scheme for JP movement participants, then the state government should also announce similar schemes for those who waged a struggle to bring back Mrs Indira Gandhi to power in 1980,'' he added.

Senior party leaders, including Shakeelur Rahman, Sunil Singh, Arun Pathak and Nizamuddin Ansari also addressed the workers.

UNI