“BJP is very much serious to the problems of senior citizens. It will constitute a national commission for the welfare of these people if comes to power at the Centre,” announ-ced BJP national president Shri Nitin Gadkari. He was addressing a senior citizens rally organised by Senior Citizen’s Federation of India at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on August 14.
Over 10,000 senior citizens were honoured at the rally. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, former Deputy Speaker of Rajya Sabha Dr Najma Heptullah, former CBI Director Sardar Joginder Singh, former Lt Governor of Delhi Vijay Kapur, BJP MP Ananth Kumar and founder of the Federation Vijay Goel were also present at the rally.
Expressing solidarity with the senior citizens, Shri Gadkari said concession in railway travel and giving pension is not enough for senior citizens. They need much more. “There is a need to provide adequate security to those senior citizens who live alone and also the government has to make adequate arrangements to cater to their health needs,” Shri Gadkari added.
Apart from elderly, about 100 senior citizen associations and members of the Federation’s Advisory Board were also present in support of the charter of demands put forward on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Vijay Goel said the Federation aimed at giving senior citizens their due rights. He said the Federation was formed in 2008 in the presence of Shri LK Advani. He said the woes of senior citizens forced him to form the Federation and before organising the rally he visited more than 100 parks to distribute pamphlets, talk to elderly and invite them for the rally.
Shri Goel said the senior citizens have built our society and it is high time their needs are addressed. There should be recreation centres for senior citizens in every block across India along with a national commission for them, along the line of the National Commission for Women. Some of the other demands included setting up of fast track courts for speedy address of senior citizens’ grievances, issuing a separate card for free medical treatment from below poverty line families, increasing pension from Rs 1,000 a month to Rs 2,000 and allowing medical insurance for those above 60 years of age.
