Farmers Movement Archive

PM’s convoy halted inPunjab security breach

New Delhi/Chandigarh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first rally in poll-bound Punjab was cancelled on Wednesday on account of a major and unprecedented breach in his security, with protestors blocking a route and forcing the PM’s convoy to spend about 15 -20 minutes on a flyover.The Centre, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), security experts and former senior police officers all stressed on the dangerous precedent set by the incident, with both the Union government and the BJP pointing to lapses by the Punjab police and the state government, and alleging that dirty politics was at play. “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,” tweeted Union home minister Amit Shah. Union minister Smriti Irani asked if information about the PM’s route was leaked. “Never before has the state government knowingly constructed a scenario where the PM will be brought to harm,” she said. “This was the Congress’s khooni (deadly) intention.” She also touched on reports that said PM Modi spoke to officials at Bathinda airport.“Say thanks to your CM that I was able to return to Bathinda airport alive,” Modi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi expressed regret over the incident but rejected the BJP’s allegations. “We regret that he had to return due to the blockade...he is the Prime Minister of the country. We respect him,” he told reporters, clarifying that his government had no information about the PM’s motorcade taking the road route. “There was no prior information. I worked till 3am to convince farmers to clear all routes. All roads were cleared by Wednesday morning. Had they told us about the road travel in advance, we would have made proper arrangements,” Channi said. Still, it is difficult to recall the last time when a sitting PM had to cancel a rally after protestors blocked the way -- even in a state ruled by a rival party. Through last year, the BJP fought a bitter battle in West Bengal with the Trinamool Congress, and the PM addressed several rallies without incident. The Bhartiya Kisan Union ( Krantikari), one of the 32 farm organisations involved in the year-long protests against the now repealed farm laws, took responsibility for the blockade. “We were not aware that PM would travel by road as we were told he would reach the rally site by a helicopter. We were already protesting on the spot and came to know about the PM only after his cavalcade had left,” said Baldev Singh Zira, general secretary of BKU(Krantikari).Security experts said the established protocol puts the onus of ensuring security on state governments. “The state police is informed in advance about PM’s travel programme and an advance security liaison (ASL) is carried out jointly with the state police and Intelligence Bureau in which any threats, programme venue’s security, route, alternative routes are discussed. While the SPG (special protection group) handles the proximate security, the overall security – including clearing of routes, peripheral security arrangement, frisking of venue are all responsibilities of the state police,” said a former senior SPG officer, requesting anonymity.In a statement detailing the sequence of events, the Press Information Bureau said,“Today morning, the Prime Minister landed at Bathinda 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 about 20 minutes for the weather to clear out.” “When the weather did not improve, it was decided that he would visit the National Marytrs Memorial via road, which would take more than two hours. He proceeded to travel by road after necessary confirmation of necessary security arrangements by the DGP (director general of police) Punjab Police,” it addedThe statement went on to say that “around 30km away from the National Martyrs Memorial in Hussainiwala, when the PM’s convoy reached a flyover, it was found that the road was blocked by some protestors”, resulting in the convoy being stuck there for 15-20 minutes, which was a major lapse in his security. Modi was scheduled to address a rally in Ferozepur and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than ₹42,750 crore. This would have been his first public meeting in the state since the repeal of the three controversial farm laws, which sparked sweeping protests across the state. Shah said that the Union home ministry sought a detailed report on the security breach from the state. “Such dereliction of security procedure in the Prime Minister’s visit is totally unacceptable and accountability will be fixed,” he tweeted.In his press briefing, the Punjab CM claimed that the attendance at the BJP’s rally in Ferozepur was thin, and that only 700 people had turned up for the arrangements that were made keeping 70,000 people in mind. “May be this was why the PM decided to go back,” he added.BJP chief JP Nadda accused the Congress government in Punjab of using “all tricks to scuttle” PM Modi’s programmes, including the Ferozepur rally. In a series of tweets, he said that Modi’s rally was called off and another programme disrupted as protesters blocked his route breaching the security protocol. He termed the security lapse as “extremely worrisome” incident. “Protestors were given access to the Prime Minister’s route while the Punjab CS and DGP gave assurances to SPG that the route is clear. To make matters worse, CM Channi refused to get on the phone to either address the matter or solve it,” Nadda said in a tweet. In response, the Congress said that the real reason for cancelling the rally was the poor attendance in Ferozepur. “Dear Naddaji, Stop losing cool and all sense of propriety. Please remember--1. 10,000 security personnel were deployed for PM’s Rally. 2. All arrangements were made in tandem with SPG and other agencies. 3. Route was carved even for all buses of BJP workers from Haryana/Rajasthan,” said party general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala. “4. PM decided to take a road journey to Hussainiwala. It was not part of his original schedule to travel by road. 5. Kisan mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) has been protesting against PM’s visit and Union Minister, Gajendra Shekhawat has held two rounds of negotiation with them,” the leader added. CM Channi said there should not be any politics on the issue.Elections in Punjab are likely to be announced shortly. The ruling Congress hopes to come back to power by holding at bay the BJP, its erstwhile ally Akali Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party. Farm issues, and the yearlong protests against the three central laws, are expected to shape the poll campaign.Detailing the protocol between the Special Protection Group (SPG) and Punjab police, the PIB statement said the PM’s schedule and travel plan was communicated well 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 was clearly not deployed.” Senior officials in the Punjab Police declined to comment.The PIB statement said after the security lapse, it was decided to head back to Bathinda airport. Taking cognisance of what it termed as a “serious” security lapse, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) 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 added. A second SPG officer, who requested anonymity, said, “In the wake of recently concluded farmer protests, any agitation by farmer bodies should have been anticipated by the state police and SPG should have been alerted about it. It is definitely a lapse if the PM was stuck on the flyover for 15-20 minutes. But what exactly transpired will come out in the state government’s report or if any inquiry is carried out”. In her press conference, Irani questioned the Punjab government’s failure in addressing the security lapse. “When the PM‘s security detail contacted Punjab police about the circumstance of the prime minister‘s cavalcade atop the flyover that there was a 20 minute exposure and a breach of security of the Prime Minister, why did those who lead the security arrangements not respond to any call for efforts to secure the prime minister,” the minister asked.

Hindustan Times

06-01-2022

India