Chhattisgarh CM Baghel calls PM's security breach 'scripted stunt' to defame Punjab govt

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel dismissed the security breach and stated that PM returned to the national capital due to low attendance at his Ferozepur rally. With the #70000kursi700bande hashtag, Baghel tweeted, "Was the Prime Minister just going to give speeches to chairs?"

"There was no crowd only 700 people were there then why PM was going there to give speeches to chairs. Sometimes it happens that till the time you reach the spot, the event site gets crowded. But this didn't happen here. 700 farmers had died, how will people forget it." 

He also called the incident a scripted stunt to defame the elected Punjab government. "First of all, the central government should tell what action it is taking against the central agencies?" Baghel asked.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has denied any security lapse or political motive and said his government is ready for an inquiry. The Punjab government on Thursday also constituted a two-member high-level committee to conduct a "thorough" investigation into lapses into PM's visit to Ferozepur.

The committee comprising Justice (Retd.) Mehtab Singh Gill and Principal Secretary, Home Affairs and Justice, Anurag Verma will submit its report within three days. 

PM Modi's security breach

The security breach has triggered a major political row with the Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that the ruling Congress "tried to physically harm" the Prime minister, while the grand old party claimed that PM skipped the rally due to low attendance.

After landing in Bathinda, PM Modi had taken the road route to the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala due to bad weather. When the convoy reached a flyover, around 30 km away from Hussainiwala, some protesters blocked the road and the cavalcade was stranded for around 15-20 minutes. Following this, PM Modi returned back to Delhi.

Meanwhile, Bharat Kisan Union (Krantikari) Surjit Singh Phool has revealed that his union was involved in blocking PM's Modi's convoy. He said that BKU(K) workers were on their way to the Ferozepur DC office when police stopped them. They then decided to protest on road. BKU general secretary Baldev Zira has also made a similar claim.