BHOPAL: A 60-year-old Bheel tribe man Laxman Pindare is craving to meet former Congress national president Rahul Gandhi during the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra – for the cause of his elder and mentally challenged son Raju Laxman, who was reportedly arrested in Pakistan for allegedly spying on a nuclear enrichment facility in July 2019.
The yatra, which is currently travelling through Maharashtra, is slated to enter Madhya Pradesh on November 20. After entering MP through Burhanpur, the yatra will travel through adjoining Khandwa and Khargone districts where Laxman wants to meet Rahul Gandhi to raise the cause for his son’s release from Pakistani jail and necessary support to the family, which is reeling under the financial crunch. Laxman resides with his family, including his wife, physically-challenged younger son, daughter-in-law and grandson in Indavari village of Khandwa district.
“My elder son Raju Laxman, who is aged around 35 years, is lodged in some Pakistani jail, while younger son Dilip is physically-challenged and unable to earn anything for his wife and 5-year-old son, forcing me and my wife Basanta Bai to work as daily wage labourers to save the family from starvation. Since July 2019, when we came to know that our missing son Raju was arrested by police in Pakistan, we’ve been running from pillar to post for his release and support to our family, but have failed to get anything positive,” the elderly couple told this newspaper on Wednesday.
“We’ve heard that Rahul Gandhi’s yatra will be travelling through Khandwa district. We want to meet him to appeal to him to raise our family and jailed son’s cause nationally and internationally,” the Bheel tribe couple appealed.
Back in July 2019, the Pakistan police had claimed to have arrested an Indian spy identified as Rajo aka Raju Laxman, who was found spying on a nuclear enrichment facility in Rakhi Gaj area of Dera Ghazi Khan district. Pakistan police had said that Laxman was arrested on July 29 while entering the DG Khan area from Balochistan.