Pulwama Widow Row Simmers as Gehlot Meets Delegation, Urges Against 'Politicisation of Martyr Matters' After Clash

A day after BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena was “manhandled”, the Bharatiya Janata Party workers held a protest in Jaipur on Saturday. As the party supporters marched towards Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s residence, the protest turned violent.

Chief Minister Gehlot later met the delegation of war widows who supported the current policies of the Rajasthan government for the families of the martyrs, an official statement read.

The meeting took place after clashes broke out between the police officers and BJP workers. While the saffron party workers pelted stones and breached barricades, cops resorted to lathicharge, leading to a massive showdown on way to CM’s residence. The police were also geared up with water cannons and tear gas.

“If Pulwama widows and Kirodi Lal don’t get justice, we will turn Rajasthan into ‘kabristan’ (grave),” an angry protester told News18. Another protester said, “Humari chaati challi kardo par hum hatenge nahi (riddle our chest with bullets but we won’t budge).”

Many BJP workers were detained, with the police van being completely filled with protesters within minutes. A protester was also seen fainting amid the commotion.

“Unfair Demands” Affect the Image of All War Widows: CM

An official statement stated that the group of widows in a meeting with Chief Minister Gehlot expressed the view that staging demonstrations over “unfair demands” affect the image of all war widows.

“Salute to war widows. Salute to the sacrifice,” Gehlot tweeted after meeting the war widows at his residence. “Expressing their feelings, the widows of the martyrs gave their support to the current policies of the state government. It is not appropriate to give the jobs and rights of war widows and their children to someone else. The state government will always stand with the martyrs and their families,” the chief minister said.

Gehlot said the state government has the highest respect for the martyrs and war widows. “The dependents of the martyrs have been employed by the state government as per the rules. The rules will be followed in future too. No injustice will be allowed to happen to the dependents of the martyrs,” he added.

Gehlot said the Kargil package was implemented for the martyrs during his previous tenure. Under the package, Rs 25 lakh for the families of martyrs, 25 bighas of land, accommodation from the housing board and an additional Rs 25 lakh for those not taking the accommodation, and jobs for war widows or their children are provided, he said.

“There is also a provision of fixed deposit of Rs 5 lakh for the parents of the martyr. In addition, provisions were also done to install statues of martyrs and to name any one public place after the name of martyrs,” he said.

“There should be no politicisation of matters related to martyrs. There is no provision in the rules to give the job to any other family member other than the war widows or children. This demand is unjustified and due to this the widows may have to face undue family and social pressure in future,” the chief minister said.

He further said, “There should be no politicisation of matters related to martyrs. There is no provision in the rules to give the job to any other family member other than the war widows or children. This demand is unjustified and due to this the widows may have to face undue family and social pressure in future.”

War Widows Support Gehlot

According to the official statement, martyr Havaldar Ramesh Kumar Dagar’s wife Kusum said the demand for giving compensatory government jobs to the brother-in-law is not according to the rules. “This demand of the (Pulwama) widows sitting on dharna is illegitimate. Other war widows also have to bear the consequences of demanding jobs for other family members instead of the martyr’s children. Demonstrations on unfair demands affect the image of all war widows,” she said.

Another war widow, Krishna Jat, wife of martyr Havaldar Shyam Sunder Jat, said only the children of martyrs have the right to get jobs given as compensation by the state government. “It is wrong for war widows to agitate to get jobs for brother-in-law or other family members. The stand of the state government in this matter is sensitive and correct,” she said.

Priyanka Kanwar, wife of martyr Lance Naik Madan Singh, and Namita Ramawat, wife of martyr Havaldar Hoshiar Singh, also termed the demonstration wrong and against the rules, the statement said.

Clashes

The clash comes a day after Rajasthan police removed the widows of the three CRPF jawans killed in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack from the site.

The women were observing an indefinite hunger strike outside Congress leader Sachin Pilot’s house in Jaipur, seeking jobs for families and other government benefits. The protesters were shifted to hospitals near their respective residential areas.

BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena, who was on his way to Chomu town to meet one of the widows, was stopped by police mid-way. He alleged he was manhandled and detained by them. Meena was admitted to a government hospital in Govindgarh after the incident and later referred to SMS Hospital in Jaipur owing to his health.

The ‘Manhandling’ Incident

“The police tried to kill me, but I was saved by the blessings of the widows of martyrs, the youth, the unemployed and the poor. I am hurt. I have been referred to Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur from Govindgarh hospital,” Meena said in a tweet.

Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore and former minister Arun Chaturvedi met Meena at the hospital. On Friday morning, Meena went to SEZ police station, where the supporters of the three widows were initially kept, and said the government will not be able to suppress their voice.

“Why is the government so afraid of 3 women warriors that the police picked them up overnight. Don’t know where they have been taken? The women are only pleading to meet the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot ji. Why is the chief minister so nervous to hear them?” Meena told reporters.

“I was going to visit Samod Balaji with my supporters, but Samod police stopped me and abused and manhandled me. Is standing with the wives of martyrs such a big crime that the @ashokgehlot51 government is behaving like this with a people’s representative?” Meena tweeted.

The police action against the widows happened around 3 am when Meena had gone to his residence, one of his close aides said.

Why Are Women Protesting in Jaipur

The widows have been protesting since February 28 and launched an indefinite hunger strike six days ago, demanding a change in rules so that their relatives and not just children can get government jobs on compassionate grounds. Their other demands include construction of roads and installation of statues of the martyrs in their villages.

On Thursday, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot responded to the demands, asking on Twitter whether it would be “appropriate” to give jobs to other relatives of the martyred jawans instead of their children.

“What will happen to the children of the martyr when they grow up? Is it appropriate to trample upon their rights?” he asked.

Reaction from BJP

BJP leader Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore slammed the Congress government in Rajasthan for not handling the issue adequately. “The first thing that comes here is the behaviour. Why doesn’t the CM want to meet the family? People go ahead and meet such families, but here the Chief Minister does not want to meet them. They were removed from the dharna site. All kinds of tricks were forced on 10 people. They were picked up in the middle of the night and taken away from there”, said Rathore.

BJP state president Satish Poonia said the widows and the BJP leaders were insulted by the Congress government and vowed to launch a massive campaign in the state to raise issues bothering the common people.

Poonia said the BJP government at the Centre led by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had introduced packages to support the families of Kargil war martyrs while the Congress is insulting them.”On one hand, Vajpayee gave strength and respect to families of martyrs and on the other hand the Congress government is insulting these widows,” said Poonia while addressing the protesters.

Rajasthan deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, who was also detained by police during the protest, said the government has turned its back on the widows after making promises.

“Rajasthan will not tolerate the insult of widows of soldiers, and people’s representatives. Today’s protest was against the misbehaviour with the widows and people’s representatives by the police administration,” Rathore said.

Read all the Latest India News here