Farmers Movement Archive

Unidentified persons booked, FIR has no mention of Modi’s security breach

The first information report (FIR) registered by Punjab Police has no mention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security breach on Wednesday.The case was registered at Ferozepur’s Kulgarhi police station on Thursday evening, about 30 hours after the incident when PM’s cavalcade was stuck near Piareana village due to road blockade by activists of the BKU (Krantikari).Even as the unprecedented security breach has become a national issue, the FIR (HT has a copy) has no mention of the movement or obstruction to the PM’s road movement.The FIR was lodged under mild bailable offence of Section 283 (obstructing public ways) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that has a maximum penalty of ₹200.Even as top leaders of the ultra-Left leaning farmer organisation BKU (Krantikari) used social media platforms and mainstream media to confirm their involvement in blocking the highway when PM’s cavalcade was moving, police lodged a complaint against unidentified persons.In a video posted on social media on Thursday, farmer union chief Surjit Singh Phul claimed that there were about 1,000 activists at the dharna that started at 11am on Wednesday. He admitted that the protesters did not allow BJP supporters’ buses to pass by to reach the rally that Modi was to address in Ferozepur.But the police record has no mention of the number of people and organisations who blocked the highway when the PM’s cavalcade was stuck for 15-20 minutes.Interestingly, the station house officer (SHO) of Kulgarhi, Birbal Singh, is also a complainant in the case.The FIR mentioned that a police party reached the blockade spot after 2.30pm on Wednesday that was after more than an hour when PM’s motorcade had to return due to security concerns. The BJP rally ended early at around 2.30pm after the PM could not reach the venue due to a road blockade.Ferozepur range deputy inspector general Inderbir Singh and Ferozepur senior superintendent of police Harmandeep Singh Hans were unavailable for comment.The SHO evaded reply when asked if videos in the public domain are being taken into consideration to identify those who violated rules that led to Modi’s convoy being stuck on the flyover for 15-20 minutes.BKU (Krantikari) general secretary Baldev Singh Zira owned the responsibility of leading the dharna at Piareana that blocked the PM’s convoy. Some farmer unions lauded the BKU (Krantikari) for stopping the PM, while others termed the blockade of his convoy “avoidable”.

Hindustan Times

08-01-2022

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