SC to hear plea on PM Modi's security breach on Friday; petitioner blames Punjab police

Amid the major security breach in PM Modi's cavalcade in Punjab, a Supreme Court bench led by CJI Ramana has agreed to hear an urgent plea regarding the matter on Friday. Senior advocate Maninder Singh mentioned a plea regarding the security breach seeking an urgent listing of the issue. The Prime Minister's cavalcade was stranded for 15-20 minutes atop a flyover in Bathinda while enroute to Ferozepur, leading to a major security breach.

CJI to hear plea on PM Modi's security breach

In the plea, the petitioner (Lawyer's voice) claims that the security breach was occasioned clearly in connivance with the Punjab Police. Holding Punjab police responsible, it expressed shock at how the officials were seen mingling with the protesting farmers. BKU (Krantikari) chief Surjit Singh Phool revealed that it was his faction which blocked the roads, but added that they did not believe the police when they informed that PM Modi was travelling via road to the rally venue.

 "It was only the Punjab Government that knew the precise route of the Prime Minister which is never shared due to high-security reasons. The overall responsibility for ensuring the safety of the Prime Minster rests with the State Government and the responsibility for providing proximate security will rest with the Special Protection Group (SPG) as per the SPG Act 1988. On the contrary, what was shocking and alarming on many levels was that local Police personnel on the spot were seen to be participating with the hooligans who jeopardised the security of the Prime Minister," read the petition.

PM Modi security breach

On Wednesday, PM Modi, who was scheduled to inaugurate projects worth Rs 42,750 crores and address a joint BJP-PLC-SAD(D) rally in Ferozepur, returned to Delhi after a brief security breach. As per the MHA, PM Modi was scheduled to visit the National Martyrs Memorial via road instead of the helicopter due to bad weather. Around 30 km away from Hussainiwala, the Prime Minister's convoy was blocked by some protestors leading to PM Modi being stuck on a flyover for 15-20 minutes. The MHA termed it a major lapse in the security of the Prime Minister and his cavalcade was reversed to Bathinda airport.

As several Congress officials 'celebrated' PM Modi's return to Delhi without holding his rally, sources stated that PM Modi told airport officials to 'thank CM Channi as he had made it alive to Bathinda'. Punjab CM Charanjit Channi refuted any security breach and added that the state govt was not aware of the PM's route change. MHA has sought a report, the Ferozepur SSP has been suspended and a high-level committee is probing into the incident. Punjab goes to the polls in February.