AFT Bar Association Writes To Law Ministry Alleging Defence Ministry Is 'Clogging Courts' By Litigating Against Disability Benefits To Soldiers

The Armed Forces Tribunal Chandigarh Bench Bar Association has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Law Ministry, raising concerns about the Ministry of Defence (MoD) "clogging the courts" and "bringing judicial work to a standstill" through litigations against disabled soldiers, widows of defence personnel, and their family members.

While endorsing the letter written by the AFT Bar Association, Jaipur, the Association said that AFT's functioning has come to a standstill by "humongous amount of litigation let loose upon disabled soldiers" by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare of the Ministry of Defence. It says this is done because many of the senior officials were pulled up by the AFT for not complying with its orders.

The Association added further that MoD 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 Association requested the PM and MoD to sensitise Government Officers and Law Officers to not to use "disparaging language" against soldiers, retired disabled soldiers and their widows in Court proceedings when they approach judicial forums for relief.