Delhi Demolition Drive: Rat hole miner Wakeel Hassan's home razed

New Delhi: House of rat-hole miner Wakeel Hassan who was a part of the Silkyara tunnel rescue operation in Uttarkashi in November 2023 was razed in a demolition drive by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in Khajoori Khas area on Wednesday. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday attacked the BJP over the razing of the house of a rat-hole miner who was part of the Silkyara tunnel rescue operation, saying demolishing the houses of the poor and humiliating them is the truth of the BJP's "anyay kaal".

Video of Hassan's wife

In a post on X, Vadra shared a video of Hassan's wife in which she is heard saying that her husband was the hero of Uttarkashi whom everyone respected and in exchange for that honour, "they took away my house".

Vadra said Hassan risked his life to save the workers trapped inside the Uttarkashi tunnel.

"Then, for their publicity, big leaders of the BJP had gotten photographs clicked with him. Now when the publicity is over, today the same Wakeel Hassan was locked in the police station and his house was demolished and the roof was taken away from the heads of his children," the Congress general secretary said.

"Demolishing the houses of the poor, crushing them, torturing and humiliating them - this injustice is the truth of the BJP's 'anyay kaal'. The public will definitely respond to this injustice," Vadra said.

The DDA had said on Wednesday that the demolition drive was carried out on land that was "part of planned development land". Police said several structures built illegally were demolished during the drive. Hours after razing his house, the DDA offered to move Hassan and his family to a temporary accommodation but he declined the offer, sources said on Thursday.

BJP promises home

Northeast Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari on Thursday said the now-demolished house of Wakeel Hassan, who was part of the Silkyara tunnel rescue operation, had some "legal issues" and assured the miner that he will be given a house under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana very soon. Responding to queries from PTI Video on the demolition of Hassan's house as part of an anti-encroachment drive, Tiwari said, "When we felicitated him, he had raised this issue with me. But when we got into the matter, we found there were some issues. So, we will provide them a house legally and I can assure you that."

Hassan refuses verbal assurance

The BJP leader said Hassan's name will be included in PMAY's list of beneficiaries and he will be "given a house very soon". Hassan told PTI that DDA officials also told him that he would soon be provided a house in the Govindpuri area but he refused to accept the offer as it was only a "verbal assurance". He has asked the government to give him written assurance.

Inputs from PTI