CHANDIGARH: Want a gun in your hand? First, wear patriotism on your sleeves. Trigger-happy people in Bhiwani district of Haryana are now being made to delve into history and political science lessons, with the DM putting those looking for arms licence through a rigorous test from making them sing Vande Mataram and the national anthem to recalling names of the first prime minister and President of India.
DM Vikas Gupta says it is a flurry of frivolous applications that had him sit up and take note. The applicants are mostly between 18 and 27. This is an alarming trend. ‘‘I wanted to ensure that guns should fall in the right hands. So, I devised this test to check their credentials properly,’’ Gupta told TOI.
Most of them did not have valid reasons for asking for a licence. While some cited business rivalry, one said he needed a gun to protect his buffaloes from thieves. Many said it could help them get employment, he said.
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