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“Can the father of a brave soldier ever falter in the face of tragedy?”

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has said that it was unfortunate that his visit to the residence of the slain Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan in Bangalore the day after the cremation should have disturbed the bereaved father K. Unnikrishnan.

Talking to The Hindu over phone from Hyderabad, Mr. Achuthanandan said one should first understand the state of Mr. Unnikrishnan’s mind at that moment. His only son, Sandeep, had courted martyrdom fighting terrorists in Mumbai, fighting to save lives, fighting for the country. He surely was a proud father to have a son like this, a braveheart who asked his fellow NSG men to back off from the danger zone so that he could take on the terrorists single-handed.

The Chief Minister said he was in New Delhi on November 28 when Sandeep died. The cremation was held in Bangalore the next day. He called Mr. Unnikrishnan over phone that day to convey his condolences and tell the bereaved father how proud he felt reading about the brave young man who sacrificed his life so that others could live. “I also told Mr. Unnikrishnan that I will come to Bangalore and see him personally.”

The very next day (November 30), Mr. Achuthanandan said, he went to Bangalore along with Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, changing his original plan to go to Hyderabad from New Delhi.

“At the airport itself, some mediamen told us that Mr. Unnikrishnan was averse to our visiting his home. We were also told that there had been a build-up of emotions. Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa had visited the martyr’s home in the morning the same day. And there was some propaganda that I would not come. Some television channels added fuel to the build-up of emotions. And you should understand what Mr. Unnikrishnan’s state of mind was that day,” Mr. Achuthanandan said.

He said he had to go to Mr. Unnikrishnan’s home. “We reached Bangalore around 6.30 p.m. and reached his home around 7 p.m. We did not expect him to be so inconsolable. While Mr. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan listened to him, I was conducted into the house. There was a picture of Major Sandeep there, his young face radiant. I talked to the bereaved mother, sharing with her my sorrow over her son’s death. I told her the whole country was proud of her.”

Asked about his remark the next day to a television channel about Mr. Unnikrishnan’s emotional outpourings, the 86-year-old Chief Minister said: “They kept asking me [about Mr. Unnikrishnan’s behaviour]. Can the father of such a brave soldier as Major Sandeep, who had given his very life for the country, ever falter like that in the face of tragedy? Shouldn’t he be brave, like his only son?”

Mr. Achuthanandan said that Mr. Unnikrishnan himself would understand one day. He said his heart went out to Sandeep’s parents, who gave their only son for the country.

Hyderabad Special Correspondent reports:

Mr. Achuthanandan said here on Tuesday that he “did not say anything wrong” against Sandeep’s family. He visited the family only to condole the death of Sandeep.

Mr. Achuthanandan was here to participate in the valedictory of the silver jubilee celebrations of the All-India Agriculture Workers’ Union. Replying to queries by journalists, he said his comments were “twisted” and said he saw a conspiracy against him in the entire episode.

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