Rajasthan: BJP leader Kirodi Lal injured while joining protest by widows of Pulwama martyrs

New Delhi (India), March 11, 2023: A protest led by widows of soldiers killed in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack turned violent in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on Saturday, following the detention of BJP leader Kirodi Lal Meena by state police the previous day.

The widows have been staging a two-week-long protest, demanding jobs for families and other issues. On Friday, the police removed the protestors who had been demonstrating outside the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and moved them to hospitals near their homes.

The action has been condemned by the BJP, which accused the state government of failing to fulfill promises made to the families. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has accused Meena of using the widows for political gains, while Meena, in turn, has accused the police of attempting to harm him. The protestors threw stones and broke police barricades, while the police responded with a lathi charge.

In response to the police action, Congress leader Sachin Pilot has urged sensitivity towards the issues of the widows, stating that the government should listen to their demands with an open mind, regardless of whether they agree with them or not.

The widows have been protesting since February 28, seeking changes to the rules to allow their relatives, not just children, to receive government jobs on compassionate grounds, along with other demands such as the construction of roads and the installation of statues of the martyrs in their villages.