'Don't want job or money': Pahalgam attack victim Shubham Dwivedi’s wife demands martyr status for him

NEW DELHI: Ten days after the terror attack in Jammu Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 people, wife of one of the victims, Shubham Dwivedi, sought martyr status for him and said that no effective action has been taken against those responsible. Shubham Dwivedi, 31, was among those killed in the April 22 attack, which mostly targeted tourists in the Baisaran area of Pahalgam.
Speaking to the news agency PTI, Ashanya said she is not asking for a job or financial help, but only wants her husband to be given the status of a martyr.
"Neither has Shubham received recognition as a martyr, nor has the government eliminated the terrorists responsible for the killings," she was quoted as saying by the PTI.
"I don't want a job or money -- just the status of martyr for my Shubham. I will carry this pain for the rest of my life."
Ashanya said she is afraid to step outside and now spends most of her time alone in a room, looking at Shubham’s photo and the shirt he was wearing during the attack.
"Even the sound of a tyre burst or a loud noise makes me tremble," she said, describing the fear she continues to feel after the attack.
On Wednesday, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, visited the family at their home in Maharajpur. Ashanya said she told him about her demand, and he assured her that he would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking for martyr status for Shubham.
"Rahul ji has promised to raise the matter in Parliament as well," she was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI.
Ashanya also asked the government to take firm and immediate steps against the terrorists behind the attack. When asked if she would ever consider visiting Kashmir again, she said, "Never. Not even once."