Villagers field sarpanch to ''reclaim'' Rashtrapati Bhawan

Karnal, Jun 27 (UNI) Residents of Malcha village in Sonepat district of Haryana, who claim to be the original inhabitants of the Raisina Hills where the Rashtrapati Bhawan stands now, have decided to field their Sarpanch in the Presidential polls to reclaim their homeland.

Satish Thakran, Sarpanch of Malcha village, left for New Delhi with much fanfare along with 150 residents of the village, men and women, to file his nomination papers for the top post in the country. He was blessed and complimented amid showering of petals by the villagers for the successful accomplishment of his ''mission''.

While UPA-left nominee Pratibha Patil hopes to enter the Rashtrapati Bhawan on the strength of the majority enjoyed by UPA and Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat is banking on possible cross voting, Satish Thakran says he would in fact be the ''genuine occupant'' of the august house.

Mr Thakran believes that the Rashtrapati Bhawan belongs to him and his fellow villagers as it was raised on the land from where their forefathers were forcibly evacuated by the British government in 1907.

They are sore that stupendous Rashtrapati Bhawan and the sprawling Connaught Place were built on their land without any compensation, their village Malcha still cries for the basic amenities of life.

Mr Thakran claims that two MLAs of Jharkhand assembly have proposed his nomination. His fellow villagers believe he would set right the wrong done to them by the erstwhile British government.

UNI