Pune: Kargil War veteran’s family alleges harassment by police, mob to prove Indian citizenship
Pune: The family of a Kargil war veteran, Hakimuddin Shaikh, living in the city has alleged that they were recently harassed by Chandan Nagar Police who stormed into their house with a group of men at night and demanded proof of their Indian citizenship.
As per a report in Times of India, the family members have alleged that the men were taken to the Chandan Nagar Police Station at around midnight, made to wait till 3 am and asked for documents as proof of their citizenship. The men were reportedly threatened to be declared Bangladeshis or Rohingyas if they failed to do so, the family members have said.
Shaikh’s brother Irshad Shaikh expressed shock that a mob of men, who were shouting slogans, was leading the policemen, while another member of the family said that although they produced their documents like Aadhaar cards, the mob declared them fake. He further said that the women in the house too were harassed to produce their documents.
When asked about the matter, Pune City Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar is learned to have said on Tuesday that the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) was probing the incident. He assured that due action would be taken against the personnel involved if there had been police negligence.
The Commissioner added that the preliminary investigation revealed no forcible entry by the police into the house, however, following the allegations by the family, the police were conducting further investigations.
DCP (Zone IV) Somay Munde clarified that the family had been asked to produce documents after the police team visited the spot on being informed of Bangladeshi nationals staying illegally in the area.
Shaikh (58), retired as a Naik Havildar from the 269 Engineer Regiment of Corps of Engineers, after serving in the Indian Army for 16 years from 1984 to 2000 and also fighting the Kargil War in 1999.
Two of his uncles, Shaikh Naeemuddin and Shaikh Mohammad Salim, fought in the 1965 and 1971 wars. Naeemuddin is learned to have retired from the infantry unit of the Army while Salim was with the Engineering regiment.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Kangana Ranaut sparks row: Claims Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem
New Delhi: A significant political controversy has erupted following the Modi government's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The row was further fueled by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who, while defending the name change, erroneously claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had made the devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" India’s national anthem.
The central government has rebranded the flagship rural employment scheme from MGNREGA to the "Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission," abbreviated as VB-G RAM G. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme has been termed an insult to the Father of the Nation by the Congress and other opposition parties.
When questioned by the media outside Parliament regarding the opposition's allegations, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut defended the government's decision by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to Lord Ram.
"How is naming it 'Ram Ji' an insult to Gandhi ji?" Ranaut asked. "Mahatma Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem to organize the entire country. Therefore, this is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi? The government is fulfilling his dream by giving it the name of Ram."
Ranaut's claim regarding the national anthem was immediately seized upon by the opposition. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the video of Ranaut’s statement on social media, tweeting sarcastically, "Come on brother, today we learned a new national anthem! The BJP is full of such gems."
Social media users also trolled the MP for the factual error. One user quipped, "Kangana ji forgot to mention that Bapu made this the national anthem after the country got independence in 2014," while another commented that the party finds people who "don't use their brains while forwarding WhatsApp messages."
Beyond the social media mockery, senior Congress leaders criticised the renaming on ideological grounds. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the move.
"The biggest irony is that Mahatma Gandhi was a lifelong devotee of Lord Ram and said 'Hey Ram' in his last moments," Gehlot wrote. "Today, the central government is making a despicable attempt to sideline Gandhi ji under the guise of the same 'Ram' name (VB-G RAM G), which is highly condemnable."
मनरेगा का नाम बदलने की केंद्र सरकार की कवायद महात्मा गांधी के प्रति उनकी ओछी मानसिकता और असम्मान का प्रमाण है। सरकार पहले 'पूज्य बापू' के नाम का शिगूफा छोड़ती है और फजीहत होने पर अब 'विकसित भारत-गारंटी फॉर रोजगार एंड आजीविका मिशन (VB-G RAM G)' जैसा नाम थोपना चाहती है। बार-बार नाम…
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) December 15, 2025
गांधी जी ने ‘रघुपति राघव राजा राम’ को लेकर नेशनल एंथम बनाया था
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) December 16, 2025
BJP MP कंगना रनौत
चलो भाई आज नया नेशनल एंथम भी पता चला है!
BJP में एक से एक शिरोमणि भरे पड़े हैं 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/9DvyV5xLb1
