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Punjab CM denies lapse in security during PM Modi’s Ferozepur visit
Channi says Narendra Modi’s plan to travel by road instead of air from Bathinda airport to Ferozepur venue was changed suddenly about which his government had no prior information
Denying any security lapse during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ferozepur to address a BJP rally on Wednesday afternoon, Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi said that his government had no information about the PM’s travel via road from Bathinda airport to Ferozepur.
Also read: BJP chief blasts Channi govt after PM’s rally cancelled over ‘security lapse’
Soon after the Union home ministry issued a statement citing a major security lapse as the PM was stuck on a flyover for 15-20 minutes due to the road being blocked by protesters, Channi told a TV news channel, “The Prime Minister was to travel by air but because of the rain, his plan was changed. The PM decided to travel by road from Bathinda to Ferozepur suddenly. There was no prior information. I worked till 3am to convince farmers to clear all routes. All roads were cleared by Wednesday morning. There was no programme of the PM’s travel by road. Had they told us about the road travel in advance, we would have made proper arrangements.”
The chief minister said the PM’s motorcade was stopped when someone parked a cart on the road where Modi was travelling. “It was a natural, there is no security breach,” he asserted.
CM cites thin attendance at BJP rally for PM’s return
Channi also took dig at the thin attendance in the BJP’s rally, saying: “They had made arrangements for 70,000 people but only 700 came. May be this was why the PM decided to go back.”
Meanwhile, the ministry of home affairs has taken cognisance of the serious security lapse and sought a detailed report from the state government. Modi was scheduled to visit Ferozepur to lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than ₹42,750 crore.
The PM had landed at Bathinda in the morning from where he was to go to the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala by helicopter. Due to rain and poor visibility, the PM waited for 20 minutes for the weather to clear. Observing no improvement in the weather, the decision to visit the memorial via road was taken after which Modi proceeded to travel by road after necessary confirmation of necessary security arrangements by the Punjab Police director general of police Sidharth Chattopadhyay.
MHA says contingency plan should have been ready
“Around 30km from the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala, when the PM’s convoy reached a flyover, it was found that the road was blocked by protesters. The PM was stuck on a flyover for 15-20 minutes. This was a major lapse in the security of PM,” said the statement by the MHA.
“The PM’s schedule and travel plan were communicated in advance to the Punjab Government. As per procedure, they have to make necessary arrangements for logistics, security as well as keep a contingency plan ready. Also, in view of the contingency plan, the Punjab Government has to deploy additional security to secure any movement by road, which were clearly not deployed,” the statement said.
The Prime Minister headed back to Bathinda airport after the security lapse.
“The ministry of home affairs taking cognisance of this serious security lapse has sought a detailed report from the state government. The state government has also been asked to fix responsibility for this lapse and take strict action,” the statement said.
Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya also announced from the stage at Ferozepur that Modi cancelled his scheduled visit to Ferozepur to address a rally “due to some reasons”. With ANI inputs
