• Source:JND
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In a shocking incident, a family members of a Kargil war veteran were harassed by a group of as many as 80 people belonging to a Hindutva outfit at their house in Pune, Maharashtra. They barged into their house and demanded proof of Indian citizenship while accusing them of being Bangladeshi nationals. The veteran's family said the Hindu activists were raising 'Jai Shree Ram' slogans and tried to force the family members to accompany them to the police station.

They also said two individuals identified themselves as policemen in plain clothes. Speaking on the issue, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said a case was registered for unlawful assembly against some individuals. After verifying the family's documents, the police officials said no illegality was found.

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Police Present At Spot Remained Mute Spectators

The Shaikh family said when the crowd gathered outside their house in Chandannagar area on Saturday midnight, some police personnel in plain clothes were present at the spot, but they remained mute spectators.

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"My elder brother Hakimuddin Shaikh had served in the Indian Army and participated in the Kargil War. After he retired as a havildar from the Engineers Regiment in 2000, he settled in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh," Irshad Shaikh brother of Hakimuddin said.

"While my elder brother lives in Uttar Pradesh, I, along with my two brothers and their children, have been living in Pune's Chandannagar area for many decades," he added.

"On Saturday midnight, around 80 people began banging on our door. When we opened it, some of them barged into the house and demanded Aadhaar cards of family members. When we showed documents, they termed them as fake and asked the women and children to produce Aadhaar cards," Shaikh alleged.

He said they tried to explain to the group that the family had been residing there for the last 60 years and that apart from his elder brother, two of his uncles had also served in the army.

"However, members of the group were in no mood to listen. They hurled abuses and accused us of being Bangladeshis. I told them that if they want to investigate, they are welcome to do so, but barging into someone's house, hurling abuses and forcing children to show documents at midnight was not appropriate," Shaikh said, adding the police were trying to pressure the family to say nobody barged into the house.

"My uncle was injured in the 1971 war in a bomb explosion and was awarded for his valour. Another uncle fought alongside Abdul Hameed during the India-Pakistan War of 1965," he added.
(With PTI inputs)