The entire incident triggered a bitter spat between the Congress and the BJP, which has accused the former of “a murderous conspiracy to kill the PM”. Chief Minister CharanjitChanni refuted any such charge. “As a Punjabi, I would die to protect you (the Prime Minister) …but there was no danger. There was no security breach,” he stressed.
Link news desk
In what is being termed as a major security breach, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to cut short his Punjab visit on Jan 5 after he remained stranded on a flyover near Piareana village on the Ferozepur-Moga road for about 20 minutes due to a blockade by farmers.
His convoy that was travelling 100 km from Bathinda to the rally by road after bad weather grounded his helicopter, was blocked by protesting farmers. He was stopped 10 km from the venue.
Meanwhile, announcements were made from a nearby gurdwara due to which more farmers reached the spot and the situation turned tense. SPG sleuths then decided to take the PM back to Bathinda as they feared he might get trapped if the protesters blocked the other side of flyover also.
Later, the Prime Minister went back to Bathinda and from there to Delhi. Reports said that Modi said he had “somehow saved his life” during the incident.
Meanwhile, the farmers who blocked the road said they had no idea the Prime Minister was passing that way. They admit they were asked to move by state police officials (once it was clear PM Modi was travelling by road) but saw it as a trick to get them to abandon protests.
Samyukt Kisan Morcha – the umbrella body of farmers’ unions that led protests against the now-scrapped farm laws – has taken exception to reports the PM said he had “somehow saved his life” during the incident. The SKM said the Prime Minister was using the farmers’ movement to “cover up the failure of his rally”.
The entire incident triggered a bitter spat between the Congress and the BJP, which has accused the former of “a murderous conspiracy to kill the PM”. Chief Minister CharanjitChanni refuted any such charge. “As a Punjabi, I would die to protect you (the Prime Minister) …but there was no danger. There was no security breach,” he stressed.Channi further said the Prime Minister is a respected leader of the nation but it does not behove a leader of his stature to indulge in “such cheap theatricals”.
Demanding CM Channi’s resignation over the issue, state BJP chief Ashwani Sharma said, “Buses carrying BJP workers were halted at HarikePattan, Moga, Tarn Taran, Abohar, Malout, Kotkapura. Party workers were also attacked at some places in the presence of police officials.”
The Ministry of Home Affairs said the PM’s schedule and travel plan were communicated well in advance to the Punjab Government and as per procedure, they had to make necessary arrangements for logistics, security as well as keep a contingency plan ready.
Amid raging controversy even the Supreme Court on Friday ordered the Registrar-General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to secure and preserve forthwith all records relating to the visit that had to be called off. The order came on a petition filed by Lawyer’s Voice seeking a thorough probe into the lapse in the Prime Minister’s security during his visit to Punjab.
