AFT bar bodies draw PM Modi attention to 'humongous amount of litigation' by Defence Ministry against ex-servicemen

Bar associations of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) have sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law & Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal in respect of litigation initiated by the Defence Ministry challenging AFT verdicts in favour of disabled armed forces personnel and pensioners..A letter to this effect was was written by the AFT Jaipur Bench Bar Association on January 19, and was endorsed by its Chandigarh counterpart on January 28..The letter claims that recent litigation was initiated by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare of the Ministry of Defence only because many of its senior officers were pulled up by various AFT benches for non-implementation of tribunal orders."Because of this it seems that the prestige of certain officers got hurt and not only did they start tarnishing the image of poor disabled personnel suffering from various medical conditions, they also went out of the way to obtain legal opinion from top Law Officers to challenge the verdicts of the AFT in the High Courts all across the country and the Supreme Court, which were in favour of disabled personnel and other pensioners," the letter further states..The associations have stated that the AFT orders in question are based on Supreme Court judgments and have further highlighted that the Law Ministry in 2019 had directed the withdrawal of similar appeals from the Supreme Court.The letter underscores that soldiers suffer from various medical conditions due to the stress and strain of military service, and that such appeals are bound to further cause them miseries.It also highlights the potential negative consequences for public perception, stating that a nation is often judged by how it treats its military veterans. The move could not only damage the public image, but also strain public resources, government manpower and public funds, potentially flooding the courts with thousands of cases."We sincerely feel that time should be spent by certain such officers in doing something good for the nation rather than satisfying their egos at the cost of disabled military veterans, widows and families," it adds..The bar bodies have called upon the PM and the Law Minister to intervene and prevent government officers from holding the entire system hostage. They emphasized the need for ensuring the welfare and dignity of military veterans."You are also most humbly requested to sensitise your officers and also law officers not to use disparaging language against soldiers, retired disabled soldiers and their widows in Court proceedings when they approach judicial forums for relief. Since the government has always stated itself to be committed to the welfare of troops and veterans and their families, this is the minimum amount of dignity that they deserve," it says.