The Punjab government today constituted a high level committee to conduct a thorough probe into the lapses that occurred during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ferozepur yesterday .
The committee, comprising Justice (Retd.) Mehtab Singh Gill and Principal Secretary, Home Affairs and Justice Anurag Verma, shall submit its report within three days, the state government tweeted.
The PM was scheduled to visit Ferozepur yesterday to lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 42,750 crore.
The Home Ministry said in a statement that PM Modi landed at Bathinda on Wednesday morning from where he was to go to the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala by helicopter. Due to rain and poor visibility, Modi 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 Martyrs Memorial via road, which would take more than two hours. The PM proceeded to travel by road after the confirmation of necessary security arrangements by the DGP Punjab Police.
Around 30 km 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 protesters.
The PM was stuck on a flyover for 15-20 minutes. “This was a major lapse in the security of the Prime Minister”, the Home Ministry said.
The BJP has made a big issue of the alleged security lapse, charging the Charanjit Singh Channi-led Congress government in the state with trying to bring harm to the PM.
The chief minister, however, refuted the charge, saying there was no security lapse. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also denied the charge, asserting that all security arrangements were in place for the PM’s convoy.