Spokespersons: Col. Rohit Chaudhry and Col. SP Singh: They said that the government’s decision reflects disregard for the morale and welfare of servicemen. They demanded that disability pension be kept fully exempt from income tax and that the 2023 new disability policy be withdrawn.

The Congress has strongly objected to the BJP government’s decision to levy income tax on disability pension of disabled soldiers of Indian armed forces, terming the move as an assault on dignity and sacrifice of a soldier.

Col. Chaudhry said that the Income Tax Act, 1961, enacted during the tenure of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, also kept disability pension outside the tax ambit.

Col. Rohit pointed that Modi govt has been trying, by design and not by error, to either stop the disability pension or to bring it in tax net by a calculated design from 2016 onwards till date when the govt has made it taxable in the Finance Bill 2026. He added that as per the Finance Bill 2026, the income tax exemption is granted to only those personnel who are wounded in action and are invalided out from service on receiving the bodily disability. Through this clause, govt has removed the IT exemption from the recipients of disability pension who got bodily injuries during action and were retained in service and also from those who have got the disability attributable to or aggravated due to military service conditions. Citing the example of former Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, who was seriously wounded during the Burma campaign as a Major at that time and rose up to the level of Chief of Army Staff due to his competent soldierly skills, the Congress leader noted that he played a key role in winning the 1971 war under the able leadership of then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi. He added that retaining injured officers in service has historically been part of military traditions and morale-building, as their war and operational experience inspires and motivates young budding soldiers. He questioned why the government could not allocate Rs. 100–125 crore annually to exempt soldiers’ disability pension from tax when it was providing substantial relief to big industrialists.

Col. Rohit Chaudhry also mentioned that their action plan is backed by over 150 Ex-Servicemen organisations of the country, including IESM, IESL, DIWAVE etc.

The Party warned that if the decision is not reversed by February 28, it will launch a nationwide campaign, beginning with a protest at Jantar Mantar on March 1, and intensify the agitation during the upcoming Parliament session. Wednesday, February 18, 2026