Last rites performed amid anti-pak slogans
KOTA: The last rites of CRPF jawan Hemraj Meena, killed in the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama, were performed in his native village Vinod Kala in Kota district on Saturday, amid chants of ‘Hemraj Amar rahe’, ‘Vande Mataram’, and ‘Pakistan Murdabad’.
People gathered along the national highway leading to the Kota city and at the martyrs’ memorial near Antaghar crossroad in the morning to pay homage to the fallen jawan.
People carried tricolors and showered flowers on the police truck carrying the mortal remains of Hemraj (43), who was a head constable in 61 battalion of CRPF. After paying tributes to Hemraj at the martyrs’ memorial, people assembled on both sides at Kotri road, aerodrome circle and other places in Kota, when the truck passed through the roads carrying the mortal remains. Emotions ran high among teary-eyed family members and villagers when the mortal remains reached Vinod Kalan in the afternoon. Later, the last rites of Hemraj were performed with full state honours at the village. Hemraj’s eldest son Ajay Meena (13) and eldest daughter Reena Meena (17) lit the funeral pyre. Hemraj has 4 kids. Kota MP Om Birla, Sangod MLA Bharat Singh, Kota South MLA Sandeep Sharma, divisional commissioner LN Soni, Kota district collector Muktanand Agarwal, and SP, Kota Rural, Rajan Dushyant were present at the funeral.
Markets in Kota city remained closed for half a day as a tribute to the martyr.
NO MINISTER PRESENT
No minister from the Centre and state were present at the last rites. Divisional commissioner, Soni laid the wreath on the mortal remains on behalf of the state government, and Om Birla on behalf of PM Narendra Modi.