Bengaluru: Showing disrespect to martyrs who fought and died for the country, unidentified persons here razed a memorial built for Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who was shot by Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists during an Army operation at Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Hotel Palace in 2008.
The Keralite NSG commando's memorial was erected at Yelahanka, Bengaluru's suburban town, where Major Sandeep's parents live now.
According to sources, the granite plaque was dismantled on Sunday evening. Photos of the razed memorial soon went viral over social media and drew condemnation and call for strict action.
Major Sandeep, 31, died on November 29, 2008, during the Army’s Operation Black Tornado to flush out Pakistan terrorists hiding inside the building. He was the son of former ISRO employee K Unnikrishnan from Cheruvannoor near Kozhikode in north Kerala.
Leading the demonstration against the vandalisation are political parties like Congress and BJP. Congress' Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, while expressing shock over the incident, promised prompt restoration of the memorial. He has sought an explanation from Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike that administers the civic amenities and infrastructural facilities in Bengaluru.
Sandeep, the fighter
The Mumbai attacks, also known as 26/11, were carried out by 10 terrorists of Pakistan's Lashkar-e-Taiba in 12 coordinated strikes in four days across the Maharashtra capital.
Major Sandeep had arranged for the evacuation of a commando and was chasing the terrorists when he was hit by the terrorists' bullets.
It was his second deputation to the elite NSG force. He was commissioned in the 7th Bihar Regiment of the Army in 1999.
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