Delhi: House of rat-hole miner involved in Uttarakhand tunnel rescue op razed
“My house was the only thing that I had asked for as a reward, but DDA demolished my house without any notice," said Hassan
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Wednesday (February 28) demolished the house of Wakeel Hassan, who headed the group of rat miners who saved the lives of 41 trapped workers in Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel.
As per media reports, DDA authorities brought a bulldozer and demolished Hassan's house even as he was allegedly detained by the police when his house was being razed.
In a video message, Hassan alleged that the DDA had not issued any notice to him before demolishing his house. “My house was the only thing that I had asked for as a reward, but the DDA demolished my house without any notice,” he said, adding that the government had promised not to touch his house.
Hassan’s video showcased the aftermath of the demolition. He said he also had to visit a police station in connection with the incident. Munna Qureshi, another member of the rescue team, could also be seen in the video. Munna alleged that they were subjected to police brutality during the incident. They also accused police of bringing Hassan's minor children to the police station and beating them up.
In response to enquiries about the demolition drive, the DDA asserted that it was carried out on land designated for planned development and told news agency PTI, “On February 28, a demolition drive was conducted by the DDA to remove encroachment from its acquired land in village Khajoori Khas.”
Meanwhile, TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose termed the demolition of Hassan's house “tragic” and “shameful”. “The valiant Wakeel Hassan the rat miner who with his team rescued 41 workers trapped in the Uttarkashi’s Silkyara tunnel, drilling by hand to get to the trapped men, today has his home demolished. Once feted as a hero today he is homeless after a DDA demolition drive. Is this how we reward our bravest citizens?” she asked on X.
Hassan and his team of rat miners was called to Silkyara on November 15 last year when all efforts to rescue 41 trapped workers from a collapsed tunnel had not yielded desired results. His team had dug the last stretch of the tunnel that led to the successful evacuation of 41 trapped workers. Notably, they had refused to accept the relief amount announced by Uttarakhand Chief Minister for their heroic act.
