Navy officer's family vents anger on Khattar

MEWAT/GURGAON: Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar visited Lt Kiran Shekhawat's home in Mewat on Saturday after cancelling his trip twice and the family did not hide its disappointment.
Family members of Shekhawat, who died in a Dornier crash off the Goa coast on March 24 while on an official mission, told the CM they were unhappy that he had called off his trip on two occasions and that he had not respected the emotions of a martyr's family.
Khattar later told reporters he had apologized to them but this was disputed by the family. The 27-year-old naval officer's father-in-law Shrichand Chhoker said the CM had expressed no regret. "The CM's visit came after a lot of pressure from the media. It was just a formality. He actually came to Gurgaon... for some other functions. He suddenly made a plan to visit Mewat after pressure from the media. However, it doesn't matter to my family. My children will keep on giving sacrifices," Chhoker said.
"CM Khattar does not know who is a martyr. He doesn't not know that a CM's position is way below those who die in the line of duty and probably that is why he does not have enough respect for them. The legal advisor to the CM told me over the phone the CM's visit would make no difference or glorify her death so we should not make it an issue... He (Khattar) just came to save his face," Chhoker added.
Khattar did try to make amends by announcing that two roads will be built and named after Shekhawat, as will a college in Kurthala village, where the family lives."I was supposed to come yesterday (Friday) but had some important work in Chandigarh. I apologized to the family and told them I will visit immediately and have done so today," Khattar said. Asked why he had not made the scheduled visit on April 6, Khattar said it was "due to bad weather".
Chhoker, though, said there was no problem with the weather that day.
On Chhoker's remarks that the legal advisor had spoken rudely to him, Khattar said, "It'snot like that. I know my people. No body has spoken like that."
Congress and Samajwadi Party lashed out at Khattar for failing to meet the officer's family twice. "It is completely insensitive...the manner in which the Haryana CM has treated this family is the most telling testimony of not only insensitivityby adding insult to injury, but also an injury in this case which is irreparable as this officer will never come back," Congress's Manish Tewari said.
SP spokesman Gaurav Bhatia said, "If you make any programme twice and cancel it, then I think it is definitely very insulting and it should not have been done for someone who has made the biggest sacrifice for the country."