Stones were thrown at the home of Brijesh, 19, and Raju, 18, by unknown people, say the police.

Two brothers from a poor family in Uttar Pradesh, who made it to the IIT against all odds, faced an attack in their village in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.Brijesh Saroj, 19, and his brother Raju, 18, had just returned home after being felicitated by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, when their house was attacked with stones."We don't know who threw the stones. It was very dark," said Raju.A group of policemen were posted briefly outside the house in Allahabad's Pratapgarh area.The brothers, who made it to the top 500 in the entrance exam for the prestigious IIT, or Indian Institute of Technology, have been feted by politicians and have been offered financial help by the government after it was reported that their family can't afford their fees.Their father, Dharamraj Saroj, is a daily wager.The family is Dalit, and this is not the first time that the brothers have felt animosity in their own village."There are people who encourage us and those who always harass us because of her caste. But there are more number of positive people," Raju told NDTV. "If there is talent, then neither poverty nor tax can stop us."Among those who have offered help to the siblings are union minister Smriti Irani, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav."Informed family that registration fees will be waived off and will be eligible for scholarships that cover tuition, mess and other charges," Smriti Irani, the Eduction Minister, posted on Twitter, replying to a tweet that urged the government to help the boys.The brothers cleared the IIT test at the ranks of 166 and 410.