From fame to oblivion: Man who led Uttarakhand tunnel rescue loses home to Delhi demolition drive
In a setback to Vakil Hassan, one of the rat hole miners, who rescued 41 workers trapped in the Silkiyara tunnel in Uttarakhand on November 2023, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Wednesday razed to the ground his house as a part of an "anti-encroachment" drive.
Hassan, who hogged the limelight after being lauded by none other than President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is back in the news after he suffered a blow delivered by DDA.
When authorities landed at his house with bulldozers only his three minor children were at home. Hassan was away with his wife.
He rushed home with his wife upon hearing that his house is being demolished as part of the anti-encroachment drive at Shri Ram Colony in Northeast Delhi's Khajuri Khas area.
"I tried telling them not to demolish my house but they (the authorities) didn't listen," said Hassan as reported by The Indian Express.
Hassan also claimed that only his house was demolished in the locality and there were many other houses in the same line as his that were left untouched.
"They said it's DDA land. In the area, only my house was demolished. the registry is from 1987 and we have been living here since 2012. It is an 80 gaj plot," he said.
Hassan added, "We are not asking for money. We just want the home that we were living in. We can't pay rent. We also won't be able to find a place for rent immediately."
Meanwhile TMC MP Sagarika Ghose called the incident, "Tragic & 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? #WakeelHassan," she wrote on 'X'.