The Rajasthan BJP staged a large-scale protest against the Congress government in the state over a “insult” to the widows of the Pulwama dead, and police detained party members in Jaipur. When the party organised a sizable demonstration against the state’s Congress-led administration, led by CM Ashok Gehlot, alleging a “insult” to the widows of soldiers killed in the 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack, police detained Rajasthan BJP members in Jaipur on Saturday.

Rajendra Rathore, the deputy leader of the opposition in Rajasthan, was held by police in Jaipur along with several other BJP members and leaders. Rathor remarked after being imprisoned, “We have initiated the protest today and we will continue it. The kind of behaviour the state govt is showcasing is an insult to democracy, we will take the protest against the govt further in all corners of the state.”

Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, a minister in Rajasthan, responded to the demonstrations by saying, “We respect Dr. Kirodi Lal Meena, he’s a senior leader, it’s not a BJP vs Cong thing. Rajasthan govt is with the families of martyrs. BJP is politicising the issue, they might have received orders from top brass.” In response to the protest by the widows of the jawans who lost their life in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, the Rajasthan BJP members staged a sizable demonstration in Jaipur.

This follows the Rajasthan police’s removal on Friday of the widows of the three CRPF soldiers killed in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack from the demonstration location outside the home of Congress leader Sachin Pilot and transfer of them to hospitals close to their respective residential regions. Prior to doing so, the widows asked Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra for permission to commit suicide. They said that the state government had broken its commitments to them, according to BJP Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena, who spoke to the press on Saturday.