Jaipur, Oct 14 (IANS): The pension scheme of the leaders detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) or their widows during Emergency shall be discontinued in Rajasthan, the government said on Monday.

In a cabinet meeting at state secretariat, it was decided to discontinue pension to detainees under MISA, announced minister Shanti Dhariwal. He said that the medical benefits being given to them, however, will continue.

Speaking on the occasion, Dhariwal said that the government can't consider prisoners arrested under MISA as freedom fighters.

Thousands of people from all walks of life were arrested during Emergency in 1975. Many of them remained arrested till 1977 under MISA as well as Defence of India Rules. Most of these leaders were from the BJP and the RSS. They were getting pension of Rs 20,000 and medical allowance of Rs 4,000.

BJP state president Satish Poonia slammed the move and termed it as the politics of animosity and hatred.

He said that after Independence, the largest war which was fought to preserve democracy in India was in 1975. Many people were sent to jail. However, when their families faced hardship, BJP government right from Atal Bihari Vajpayee to state governments including the Rajasthan government under BJP rule, decided to give them pension benefits.

Now, it is shameful to think that the government is trying to starve them once again.