PM cavalcade was met by protesting farmers 10 km ahead of the venue
A three-member committee will probe the "serious lapses in the security arrangements" during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Punjab on Wednesday, the Union Home Ministry said today.
The lapses in PM's security "led to the exposure of the VVIP to grave security risk," the Home Ministry said in a tweet.
The three-member committee will be led by Sudhir Kumar Saxena, Secretary (Security), Cabinet Secretariat and include Balbir Singh, Joint Director of Intelligence Bureau, and S Suresh, Inspector-General of SPG. The committee is advised to submit its report at the earliest.
Visuals of the PM's motorcade stuck on a flyover in Punjab just 10 km from the venue of his scheduled rally in Ferozepur took the country by surprise with the BJP accusing the Punjab government of harbouring "murderous intent" towards the PM. The party alleged that the lapse was carefully engineered by the state in collaboration with the police and the protesting farmers.
The BJP has released what it says are "internal memos" of the Punjab Police, claiming they mention the last-minute changes in travel plan over bad weather and that "farmers are likely to hold dharnas... may result in roadblocks... please make necessary diversion plans".
The Congress in the state has ferociously defended its police in what has now snowballed into a political slugfest with just months left for the Assembly elections. The government of Chief Minister Charanjit Channi, who took the office just three months back, has been accused of not chalking out an alternate route despite the intelligence about protests by farmers. The Chief Minister has been accused of not responding to several SOS calls made by the PM's security detail.
The Congress, however, maintains that PM's travel plans were changed without the knowledge of the state police - in complete breach of protocol.
The state's trouble is far from over. A petition has now been filed before the Supreme Court calling for the dismissal of Punjab's Home Minister and the police chief. The top court will hear the matter tomorrow.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the poll-bound state yesterday to dedicate projects worth Rs 42,000 crore to the people of Punjab. He landed in Bathinda in the morning from where he was scheduled to fly to Ferozepur - the venue of his rally. However, inclement weather forced a change in plans with PM Modi deciding to cover the 100 km distance by road - a two-hour drive.
10 km ahead of the venue, his cavalcade was met by protesting farmers, keeping the convoy along with the PM waiting on the bridge for 20 minutes. They finally had to turn back with the PM reportedly telling airport officials to "thank their Chief Minister" that he made it alive to the airport.
