Minister mistakenly visits serving soldier’s house for condolences

According to BJP leaders, Narayanaswamy was taken to the house of Ravikumar Kattimani, who is currently posted in Jammu and Kashmir region, instead of taking him to the house of Basavaraj Hiremath, who died in Pune a year ago.

Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment A Narayanaswamy visited the residence of a living soldier, instead of the one who had died, after apparently being misled by local leaders, and announced a government job and land to his kin.

Union Minister of State A Narayanaswamy at the house of soldier Ravi Kattimani in Mulgund, Gadag. (Facebook/A Narayanaswamy)

The soldier’s family was in tears after the minister offered condolences. The soldier, however, is alive.

The Incident took place in Gadag district during the minister’s ‘Jan Ashirvad Yatra’. According to BJP leaders, Narayanaswamy was taken to the house of Ravikumar Kattimani, who is currently posted in Jammu and Kashmir region, instead of taking him to the house of Basavaraj Hiremath, who died in Pune a year ago. As part of the minister’s itinerary, he was scheduled to visit the dead soldier’s family and offer condolences to them.

The minister visited the residence of a living soldier, instead of the one who was killed in action, after apparently being misled by local leaders. The minister announcing a government job and land to kin took the family by surprise. Soon after the minister’s announcement, the soldier’s parents started sobbing uncontrollably as they presumed that he had been killed and the minister had come to inform them about this death.

“But a local leader soon realised there was something wrong. Since he had the soldier’s number with him, he quickly made a video call and the minister understood the mistake when the video call started. He tried to praise the son in an attempt to control the situation. The BJP leader who had given them false information was taken pulled up later,” said a local BJP leader.

In his attempt to control the situation the minister also felicitated the family members before leaving their home.

“My husband is working in Kashmir, it has been two months since we got married. The minister coming to our house and inquiring about us caused some confusion, but neighbors’ said he might be coming out of respect to soldiers serving in border areas....when he started assuring job and land, I felt somewhat and told him that- my husband is there and I will have to ask him”, Kattimani’s wife told local media.

Noting that someone has given wrong information to the minister, she said the family was relieved only after speaking to her husband. “....it caused unnecessary tension to us and my husband there.” The minister however did not visit the dead soldier Hiremath’s family. “No one came to our house. He (minister) is said to have gone to the house of a soldier who is alive....I only want my son back,” an emotional Hiremath’s mother said.

(With inputs from PTI)