Ten days on, BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Kirorilal Meena from Rajasthan is spearheading a campaign in support of alleged unfair demands of Pulwama martyrs’ widow. In a reaction to the move, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday said politics over the martyr was condemnable.
Gehlot assured that the government would ensure that the next of kin of the martyrs get their dues. However, he ruled out misappropriation of the government’s financial assistance meant for the families of those who laid down their lives for the sake of the country as being demanded by the BJP leader.
In an official statement, the chief minister asked, “How could one justify giving job to another relative ignoring the rights of the children of a martyr? What will come of the children of the martyr when they grow up? Is it not unfair to kill their (the children’s) rights? “
Gehlot alleged some BJP leaders were exploiting the issue of martyrs’ widows for their own political ends. This, he said has never been the tradition of Rajasthan.
He said, “Giving government job to the brother-in-law of one of the widows and the third statue of martyr Hemraj go against the basic rules. The same rules have been applied in all other cases so far. Hence, the demand is unreasonable and therefore untenable. “
The CM flatly refused to consider the two major demands of the widows sitting on dharna outside Sachin Pilot’s bungalow since Monday afternoon.
Martyr Rohitash Lamba’s widow is demanding that her ‘devar’ (brother-in-law) be given a government job instead of a minor child. While another martyr, Hemraj Meena’s widow demanded a third statue in her village. A third widow, of martyr Jeetram Gurjar, is demanding the upgradation and renaming of a school in her village after her late husband.
These widows, led by BJP MP Meena, first started their fast cum protest near Vidhan Sabha from February 28 before shifting their protest venue to to Raj Bhawan where they met and handed over a memorandum to state Governor Kalraj Mishra.
Emboldened by the support lent by the BJP, these widows, accompanied by male supporters of Meena during a media-lunch hosted by Sachin Pilot at his residence on March 6,, forced their way to the front lawn of the house thrashing security personnel held a veritable demonstration right in front of dining media persons. Pilot later heard them out individually outside his government bungalow where the widows started to protest.
Later in the evening, the Congress leader wrote a letter to the state chief minister to look into the matter and find a way to fulfill their demands by relaxing norms. Yesterday, two envoys of CM Pratap Singh Khachariawas and Shakuntla Rawat also tried to convince the war widows and asked them to give up agitation as the government would consider their genuine demands. But their attempts did not bring fruits as they were demanding a promise in writing.
Yesterday, Chief Minister Gehlot spoke to Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge apprising them about the developments in the light of the rules made for martyr’s families.
Gehlot said during his first tenure as chief minister in the year 1999, the state government released Kargil package for the dependents of the martyrs. It has been made more effective by increasing it from time to time. In the Kargil package, the wives of martyrs were given Rs 25 lakh along with 25 bighas of land or housing board home (additional Rs 25 lakh if land or house is not taken), under a monthly income scheme, martyr’s parents are given Rs 5 lakh FD, naming of a public place after the martyr and job to his wife or his/her son/daughter.
According to Gehlot, the Rajasthan government has made a provision that if the wife of an army man happens to be pregnant at the time of his martyrdom, and if she does not want to take up a job, the job will be reserved for the unborn child. This will secure her future. As per the rules of this package, help has been given to the dependents of Pulwama martyrs. No other state has such a package for the families of the martyrs. I have kept the same thing in front of the Defense Minister and the Congress President.
Despite CM’s statement, this afternoon, four senior BJP leaders, R S Rathore (deputy leader in House), Ashok Lahoti and Ramlal (both MLAs), and senior party functionary and former Minister Arun Chaturvedi, met Governor Mishra and handed him a representation on behalf of the martyrs’ widows who are still protesting outside Pilot’s bungalow.