Farmers Movement Archive

PM’s security breach: BJP claims police overlooked assembly of unknown persons near Ferozepur helipad

Amid uproar over Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s security breach, the Bharatiya Janata Party claimed that the Punjab police overlooked the gathering of nearly 100 unidentified persons near the temporary helipad that was to be used for the PM’s travel to Ferozepur on January 5. BJP national executive member Harjit Singh Grewal said on Saturday that in the presence of director general of police (DGP) S Chhattopadhya, nearly 100 non-BJP activists were spotted near the helipad. Those people were not removed by the police, he added. Grewal said he, along with senior Punjab BJP leaders Avinash Rai Khanna, Rajinder Bhandari and some government officials, were present at the helipad to receive the PM. Next to the chopper landing site, the PM was to lay the foundation stone of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research’s satellite centre for Ferozepur and other development projects worth ₹43,000 crore. “We reached the venue before 10 am as the PM was expected to reach Ferozepur around noon. While some BJP leaders were barred from reaching the venue, Punjab police personnel overlooked the assembly of nearly 90-100 unknown people around the helipad. They appeared to be activists of farmer unions or members of other political parties who remained there till 2 pm,” said Grewal, a former vice-president of the party’s Punjab unit. He said since it was raining, PM’s travel from Bathinda airport to Ferozepur was expected to get delayed. “We were advised to stay back at the foundation stone site till 2 pm as the PM was expected to arrive late. But the PM’s cavalcade was stuck just a few kilometres from the rally venue due to a road blockade by farmers. The gathering of protesters en route PM’s motorcade and assembly of unidentified persons around the helipad smacks a conspiracy of the ruling Congress and police administration who used farmer unions to jeopardise BJP’s event,” he added. ‘Model code will boost BJP’s morale’ Grewal said the “ultra-Left associations” like Ughrahan and Dakaunda factions of the Bhartiya Kisan Unions have selectively launched a political campaign against the BJP. “Several of our leaders faced harassment by these unions for over a year. They staged a round-the-clock sit-in outside the residences of BJP leaders for several months. It all happened due to the support of the police. As the model code of conduct has been invoked, undue political pressure on police would ease and our leaders and supporters will campaign vigorously,” he said.

Hindustan Times

09-01-2022

Chandigarh