Olympian Mohd Shahid’s Varanasi house razed, family says got compensation, but Opposition slams govt

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, state Congress president Ajay Rai wrote, “The house of Padma Shri Mohd Shahid was razed to the ground by the BJP government. This was not just a house but a testament of the country’s sports heritage. The BJP government, which insults respected luminaries of Kashi, will not be forgiven by the people.”

Azad Samaj Party chief and Nagina MP Chandra Shekhar Azad also hit out at the BJP government, saying, “It is shameful that the family of Olympian Mohd Shahid, a hockey wizard, who brought glory to India, a Padma Shri and Arjuna Award winner, is pleading with folded hands in Varanasi, begging for just one day’s respite to prepare for the demolition of their home. But in the bulldozer politics of the BJP government, neither humanity nor respect for the nation’s heroes remain.”

He further said, “The family of Shahid saheb, who brought India a gold medal in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, has been left standing on the streets today.”

The family, he added, be provided a dignified house, compensation and security.

However, the hockey player’s wife Parveen, when contacted, said she had no objection to the demolition as she had received compensation for it but requested the government to construct a memorial to her late husband in the same Kachahari locality to “keep his memories alive”.

Barring two of the nine claimants of the property — the late hockey player (his dependents), his brothers and sisters — have received compensation for the demolition of the house, she said.

The families of the two brothers of the late Olympian have refused to accept the amount and opposed the demolition, claiming the amount was less, she added.

Officials of the Public Works Department (PWD), which undertook the demolition, said only a portion of the four-storey house was demolished and compensation was paid to the occupants.

“Not just our house, but other houses in the area have also been demolished. There were nine co-owners of this house — the six brothers and three sisters of my husband. While one sister had given up her claim, the compensation was due for eight of which six, including me, were paid the money. But two of the brothers refused to accept the compensation which they believed was not adequate,” Parveen said.

Also, the PWD officials said since many residents, including Mohmmed Shahid’s, did not own the land they were paid the compensation only for the houses built on it and not for the plots.

Parveen also said the family did not have the land ownership papers.

Even as the Opposition slammed the government over the demolition amid opposition by some of the families of the hockey player’s brothers, officials denied any bias, saying the occupants were notified well in advance.

PWD Executive Engineer KK Singh said, “Only 10 per cent of the house belonging to those who have taken the compensation has been demolished so far. We have been very careful in ensuring that it does not affect others or the main roof of the building.”

“The project includes road widening of 9.325 km from Kachahari to Ashapur. While 9-km road has been widened, only 325 meters remains where there were about 70 houses. Of these, the occupants of 47 have accepted the full compensation and have agreed to demolition,” he added.

Parveen said the family was offered 32 lakh to be divided among eight claimants.