Farmers’ leader Rakesh Tikait has termed the incident of PM security breach in Punjab on Wednesday as a ‘stunt’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi “to gain sympathy”.
“When PM was coming to Punjab, what arrangements did he make regarding security? The news about him saying that he survived makes it clear that it was a stunt. It was an attempt to find a cheap way to gain public sympathy,” Farmers’ leader Rakesh Tikait said.
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Tikait added: “Centre is saying that there was a security lapse. On the other hand, the Punjab government is saying that the Prime Minister did not go there because chairs in his rally were empty. Both are only trying to defend themselves. The Prime Minister should not have gone there.”
Meanwhile, the row over security breach during PM Modi’s visit to Punjab has been listed in the Supreme Court, which is likely to be heard on Friday.
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On the other hand, the Punjab government has constituted an inquiry team into the incident which will submit a report of its findings within three days.
President Ram Nath Kovind, on Thursday, met PM Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi and took a first-hand account of the incident.
The President has expressed concerns over the security lapse.
On Wednesday, PM Modi was on his way to Ferozepur for an election rally, when his convoy which was travelling at a speed of over 100 kilometres came to a halt for 20 minutes on a flyover.
His convoy was allegedly stopped by a group of protesting farmers 10 km from the venue of his rally.
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Meanwhile, the Congress has hit back at the Centre and the BJP by asking if protocol was followed in this case.
Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said that elaborate arrangements were made, but the route the PM had chosen to travel was not part of the original schedule.
Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi said, “Being a Punjabi, I would die to protect the Prime Minister. But there was no danger to his life. There was no security breach.
Meanwhile, top Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has lambasted PM Modi for “not having the patience of 15 minutes to sit on the road”.
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Sidhu said: “Farmers sat on protest at Delhi borders for over a year, but yesterday when PM had to wait for around 15 minutes he had problems. Why these double standards Modi ji?”