Tejashwi laments 'sidelining Punjab issues' amid PM security breach: 'UP polls is target'

Exasperated at the constant politicisation over PM Modi's security breach in Punjab, RJD leader Tejashwi on Sunday, lamented that issues like farmers, inflation, unemployment have been sidelined. Slamming BJP, he said that the saffron party was heightening this issue to garner electoral gains in Uttar Pradesh elections. UP goes to polls in 7 phases between February from February 10 to March 7, while polls will be held in Uttarakhand, Goa and Punjab on February 14. Results will be announced on March 10.

Tejashwi: 'BJP sidelining farmer issues in Punjab'

"In Punjab, the issues of farmers, unemployment, poverty has been sidelined. Only one issue is being discussed (PM security breach) which has been created in Punjab as they (BJP) have nothing left in Punjab. They keep harping on this thinking that if they keep showing what happened in Punjab, it will help them in UP. Wherever elections are there ED, CBI will roam and BJP will continue to divert on issues," he said.

He added, "BJP is the 'Badka Jhootha Party'. This is not my term, but of Nitish Kumar ji. Now his own ministers like Lalan Singh are raising questions on their own govt. Now, who is a liar, people will decide".

Politics over PM Modi's security breach

On Wednesday, PM Modi, who was scheduled to address a joint BJP-PLC-SAD(D) rally in Ferozepur, returned to Delhi after a brief security breach. The Prime Minister's cavalcade was stranded for 15-20 minutes atop a flyover in Bathinda while enroute to Ferozepur, around 30 km away from Hussainiwala. Both MHA and Punjab govt are probing the issue.

As PM Modi returned to Delhi,  several Congress officials 'celebrated' it. In response, sources stated that PM Modi told airport officials to 'thank CM Channi as he had made it alive to Bathinda'. On the other hand, Punjab CM refuted any security breach and added that the state govt was not aware of the PM's route change. Moreover, Congress has claimed that PM Modi returned to Delhi to escape embarrassment as his rally had failed to garner crowds. On the other hand, BJP has accused CM Channi of 'deliberately' stalling PM Modi near protestors in a bid to make an 'attempt on his life'. 

Amid the political war of words, the Supreme Court has directed the Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to secure and preserve the travel records of PM Modi's Punjab visit. Moreover, SC has also stayed the probes by both MHA & Punjab govt till the next hearing on Monday, January 10. The Ferozepur SSP has been transferred and Viresh Kumar Bhawra was appointed as the new Punjab DGP replacing Siddharth Chattopadhyaya.