A portion of the residence of National Security Guard commando Lieutenant Colonel Niranjan Kumar, who was martyred in the Pathankot terror attack in January, is set to be demolished in an anti-encroachment drive in Karnataka capital Bengaluru on Thursday.
"The BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) officials had marked for demolition one of the three pillars on which my (late) son Lt Col Niranjan Kumar's house is standing," the martyred NSG commando's father, Shivarajan said from Palakkad in Kerala.
A pillar had encroached on a storm water drain at Doddabommassandra near Vidyaranyapura and officials had marked the portion for demolition.
Niranjan's brother Shashank asserted that it is definitely not a good thing and a shame to the country to see a national hero's house being demolished.
"It is very hard for us to digest this because we have lost our brother in Pathankot attack and now we are seeing the house is being demolished. And it is not a good thing to see our national hero's house being demolished. I would request to stop this demolition for good purpose because Niranjan has died for the country and if is going to happen this way then it is a shame for the country," Shashank told ANI.
Shivrajan said his wife Radha and another son (Shashank) had sought time from the BBMP to make their own arrangement "to remove the marked pillar."
"My wife and son had sought time for removing one of the three pillars on which the house is standing. My family is bit worried about the BBMP officials using JCB (earth mover) to pull down the structure as it may cause considerable damage to the house itself," he said.
Shivarajan is in Palakkad making arrangements for organising a function on August 15 in memory of his martyred son. He was killed while sanitising a terrorist's booby-trapped body.
Meanwhile, the BBMP continued with its encroachment clearance drive and marked many more buildings for demolition in Vidyaranyapura. On Tuesday, it had identified and marked properties at Yelahanka, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bommanahalli, Mahadevapura and Yeshwantpur.
The residents of these areas have strongly criticised the BBMP officials for asking them to make alternative arrangements.
On Tuesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had ordered action against 20 government officials for their involvement in encroachment of storm water drains in the city.
Photographs: ANI