BJP using Pulwama widows for political gain: CM Gehlot

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Thursday accused the BJP of using the “widows of [Pulwama] martyrs for their narrow political interest”, days after his party colleague and rival Sachin Pilot asked the state government to consider their demands sympathetically, reports the Print.
Forty Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel lost their lives in the Pulwama terrorist attack in February 2019. The families of three personnel from the state — Hemraj Meena, Rohitash Lamba and Jeet Ram Gurjar — have been protesting since 28 February in Jaipur over what they describe as “non-fulfillment of promises” by the state government. BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena had also joined the protest.
In a statement on Twitter Thursday, Gehlot said that the families of the martyrs have been compensated in line with state norms, and sought to explain why some demands are not being fulfilled.
“The wife of martyr Sh. Hemraj Meena wants his third statue installed at a circle (chauraha) whereas two of his statues have already been installed,” wrote Gehlot, adding that such a demand “is not appropriate in view of the families of other martyrs”.
“Wife of martyr Sh. Rohitash Lamba is demanding [a] compassionate appointment of her husband’s brother. If [a] job is given to brother of martyr Sh. Lamba, then in future the family members of all the widows may exact inappropriate social and family pressure to give job to other relatives while depriving the children of the martyr of the right to a job… How can we justify giving [a] job to any other relative by trampling upon the rights of the children of the martyr?” said Gehlot.
Citing the Kargil package that the state government had introduced for the dependents of soldiers killed in 1999, Gehlot said, “There is perhaps no such package for martyr families in any other state for the families of the martyrs.”
He said that he has apprised Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge of his arguments.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Meena told ThePrint Thursday that Pilot as well as two state ministers met the families earlier this week and assured justice, “but now the CM has made a U-turn.