Following Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirodi Lal Meena’s arrest on Friday, chief minister Ashok Gehlot accused the former of politicizing the issue regarding the demands brought up by widows of Pulwama attack martyrs.
On Saturday BJP workers thronged Ghelot’s residence. They threw stones at police barricades which were retaliated by lathi-charge by the cops.
The Pulwama widows protests have been going on for the last two weeks. The widows are demanding that the State grant government jobs to extended family members along with immediate ones on the basis of compassionate grounds.
Their other demands include construction of roads and installation of statues of the martyrs in their villages.
When asked about the lathicharge, senior BJP leader Sachin Pilot the issue needs to be dealt with sensitivity.
“There should not be a false message going outside that the government is not ready to listen to the widows of our martyrs. Demands such as construction of roads, erecting houses, and installing statues are doable. However, it is another thing that we accept all their demands,” Pilot said.
On Friday morning, the widows were shifted to nearby hospitals when they started protesting in front of Pilot’s residence in Jaipur.
