MHA seeks detailed report on PM Modi’s ‘security lapse’ in Punjab
The Union ministry of home affairs on Wednesday sought a detailed report on the alleged security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Ferozepur district of Punjab that reportedly prompted the latter to cut short his visit.
Taking to Twitter, Union home minister Amit Shah said accountability will be fixed. “Such dereliction of security procedure in the Prime Minister’s visit is totally unacceptable and accountability will be fixed,” Shah wrote.
“Today’s Congress-made happening in Punjab is a trailer of how this party thinks and functions. Repeated rejections by the people have taken them to the path of insanity. The topmost echelons of the Congress owe an apology to the people of India for what they have done,” he further wrote.
Modi was scheduled to visit Ferozepur earlier in the day to lay the foundations for multiple development projects worth more than ₹42,750 crore. According to a MHA statement, the PM landed at Bathinda in the morning from where he was scheduled to go to the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala by helicopter.
Due to poor weather and lack of visibility, the PM had to wait for about 20 minutes, following which it was decided that he would visit the memorial via road and the travel time would be more than two hours.
The PM then proceeded to travel by road after necessary confirmation of required security arrangements by the Punjab Police. About 30 km ahead of the memorial in Hussainiwala, when the Prime Minister’s convoy reached a flyover, it was found that the road was blocked by some protestors. Modi was stuck on the flyover for 15-20 minutes.
Following this, he returned to Bathinda airport and his address had to be cancelled.
The incident led to massive uproar with the BJP and Congress indulging in a blame-game. Punjab is scheduled to see Assembly election in the next few months and the BJP is hoping to oust the Charanjit Singh Channi-led Congress government in the state with the help of allies.