26 November 2021 marks the thirteenth anniversary of the horrifying Mumbai terror attack when Pakistani terrorists staged simultaneous attacks at multiple places in the city. It was on this day in 2008, that 10 Lashkar-e Toiba terrorists from Pakistan reached Mumbai through the sea route and lay siege to the city for more than 60 hours. They unleashed mayhem in the city, killing innocent people in their wake as they opened fire with complete abandon. About 166 people were killed in the attack, including 18 security personnel, and scores of others were rendered injured and maimed.
One of the security personnel who was ambushed and killed by terrorists was Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan. While the nation wept and paid tribute to the brave soldiers like Major Unnikrishnan, who made the supreme sacrifice saving innocents from barbaric terrorists, Communist leaders were busy displaying their ego and insulting the family of the Major. Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and his family hailed from the south Indian state of Kerala. However, the Kerala government, at that time, did not bestow the honour that a martyred soldier and his family deserves.
Unfortunately, the Kerala government, which was then headed by Communists under the leadership of chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan, insulted the supreme sacrifice of Major Unnikrishnan by refusing to send its representative for the funeral of the Malayali NSG commando who died battling terrorists during the Mumbai attack. In addition to this, not a single Kerala minister showed the courtesy of calling them or visiting their house to offer condolence while their counterparts in Karnataka did.
To add insult to the injury, Kerala CM V.S. Achuthanandan made unsavoury remarks for the family of the martyred commando, saying, “Even a dog would not have glanced at that house had it not been Sandeep’s residence.” Achuthanandan’s distasteful comments for Sandeep’s family came after he was turned away from the Unnikrishnans’ Bangalore house.
“Even a dog would not have glanced at that house had it not been Sandeep’s residence”: Kerala CM V.S. Achuthanandan insults Mumbai terror attack martyr’s family
Unnikrishnan, who was agitated at Kerala leaders’ apathy for one of their own citizens and one who laid down his life in the service of the country, had shut the doors on the delegation of Communist minister who had come to meet him after mounting pressure from media and public. He was apparently upset that Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa visited him earlier to offer condolences, and the Kerala chief minister came four days later. When Achuthanandan was at Sandeep’s doorstep, his father shut the door on them and refused to let them inside his house. With television cameras rolling, he shouted at the two political leaders and asked them to leave immediately.
Only after much persuasion that Sandeep’s family finally agreed to meet the Kerala leaders. K. Unnikrishnan met Achuthanandan, who was accompanied by Balakrishnan. According to the reports that were published then, Sandeep’s father told the ministers that they took the pains to visit their Bangalore home only because of criticism from the media back home and not because they wanted to share the family’s grief.
Sandeep’s father apologised for his behaviour but added that he has no respect for the Kerala CM. “I have lost all respect for you, VS,” he said, adding that the politicians arrived after he repeatedly asked them not to and admitted that he “responded badly.”
But the Kerala CM was not the one to cut a grieving father some slack. Smarting from Sandeep’s father’s snub, a day later, he told Times Now: “I have respect for Sandeep, his mother and father. If it had not been Sandeep’s residence, not even a dog would have glanced at the house. I did not expect such a reception.”
