National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma wrote to DGP Rajasthan to personally look into the matter and conduct an inquiry into allegations of mistreatment and assault levelled by the widows of Pulwama terror attack martyrs.
"@NCWIndia has taken cognizance. Chairperson @sharmarekha has written to DGP Rajasthan to personally look into the matter and conduct an inquiry into allegations of mistreatment and assault levelled by the women against police officials. Detailed action taken report (ATR) must be apprised to NCW," National Commission for Women's offical handle tweeted on Thursday.
NCW's reaction comes in the wake of reports in which widows of martyrs seek permission to end their own lives.
Protesting widows seek permission to end own lives
Widows of three CRPF personnel killed in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack accused the Rajasthan government of not fulfilling its promises made to them and sought permission from Governor Kalraj Mishra to end their own lives, the BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena said on Saturday (March 4).
Meena has been sitting on a dharna in Jaipur with the family members of the martyrs for the last few days.
He along with the wives of the CRPF personnel killed in the Pulwama attack went to Raj Bhawan to hand over a representation to the governor.
After coming out from Raj Bhawant, they started moving towards the chief minister's residence and were stopped by the police.
Meena alleged that police personnel pushed the women in which Manju Jat, the widow of Rohitashav Lamba got injured and was admitted to the hospital.
The BJP leader said that instead of fulfilling the demands of the families of the martyrs, the state government was taking recourse to "dictatorship". "The police misbehaved with them even when they were protesting at the assembly gate recently," he alleged.
Meena and the family members of the Pulwama terror attack martyrs handed over the representation in Raj Bhawan in which Manju Jat, Madhubala, Sundari Devi and Renu Singh sought permission for euthanasia.
Rajasthan CM's reaction
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday targeted the BJP, saying some of its leaders were disrespecting the widows of martyrs and using them to gain political mileage.
This comes a day after relatives of three CRPF personnel killed in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack reached Congress leader Sachin Pilot’s residence and demanded a meeting with the party high command, accusing the state government of not fulfilling promises made to them.
Without directly naming BJP Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena, who has been sitting on a 'dharna' with the widows of the martyrs, Gehlot said in a statement, "Some BJP leaders are disrespecting the wives of the martyrs by using them to gain political mileage. This has never been the tradition of Rajasthan. I condemn it."
The widows' demands include installing statues of the slain jawans, giving jobs to their relatives on compassionate grounds and construction of roads in their villages.
In his statement, Gehlot said the widow of Hemraj Meena, who was martyred in the attack, wants a third statue to be installed despite two others already put up at the Government College, Sangod, and a park in Vinod Kalan, his native village.
"Such a demand is not appropriate keeping in view other martyr families," the chief minister said in the statement in Hindi. The wife of Rohitash Lamba is seeking a job for her brother-in-law on compassionate grounds but if the job is given to him, then the family members or relatives of all widows of martyrs might start putting undue pressure on them.
"Should we create such a difficult situation in front of the wives of martyrs because the rules made at present have been made on the basis of past experiences. How can it be justified to deny the rights of the children of martyrs and give jobs to other relatives? What will happen to the children of martyrs when they become adults," he asked.
(With PTI input)
