MAPUSA
Stating that the recent blockade of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s motorcade in Punjab was a serious security lapse, former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis pointed out that it was a State-sponsored blunder and demanded a probe on Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s involvement in the incident.
Fadnavis informed that there was enough evidence to implicate the ruling Congress party and the entire State government machinery for the goof-up in providing proper security drill for the PM’s convoy in Punjab.
“The chronology of events leading to the blockade of the PM’s convoy clearly establishes the full involvement of the Congress party and the State government. It was a pre-planned security lapse. Our demand is to conduct an investigation to find out the involvement of CM Charanjit Singh Channi in the blunder,” Fadnavis said while addressing the media in the BJP office in Panaji.
Modi was supposed to attend a rally in poll-bound Punjab on January 5, when his convoy was stranded on a flyover due to a blockade by protesters in Ferozepur for almost 20 minutes.
The PM was forced to turn back without attending the event.
Fadnavis informed that a sting operation has revealed that the blockade was not spontaneous but a pre-planned incident with the active support of the State government.
He said in the sting operation, the station house officer (SHO) has disclosed that police were aware that such a protest was going to happen along the PM’s route and they had also informed the senior officials about the protest.
He said instead of taking pre-emptive measures, the senior officers instructed not to take action against the protesters but hold a dialogue with them.
He also said that the PM’s convoy was stopped just 10 km away from the border with Pakistan.
“Normally the chief minister, chief secretary and the DGP go to welcome the PM but in this case, none of the three was present which clearly shows that they knew that the convoy would be stopped,” Fadnavis said.
He said this was a State-sponsored blunder and called for a thorough investigation over the security lapse of the PM’s convoy.
