New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday decided to hear the petition on alleged security lapses during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit poll-bound Punjab. The petition has been filed by an organisation, Lawyer’s Voice, and will be taken up by the top court on Friday.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana has asked petitioners to serve a copy on the Centre and Punjab government today.
The Prime Minister’s rally in Ferozepur had to be cancelled yesterday because of the unprecedented breach with some protesters blocking a route and forcing his convoy to spend about 20 minutes on a flyover. After landing at Bathinda airport, PM Modi was on his way to the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala when the incident took place.
The Centre, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), security experts and former senior police officers all stressed on the dangerous precedent set by the incident.
The Union home ministry and the BJP pointed to lapses by the Punjab police and the state government, and alleged that dirty politics was at play.
“Today’s Congress-made happening in Punjab is a trailer of how this party thinks and functions. Repeated rejections by the people have taken them to the path of insanity,” tweeted Union home minister Amit Shah.
Union minister Smriti Irani asked if information about the PM’s route was leaked.
Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi expressed regret over the incident but rejected the BJP’s allegations. At a press conference, Channi said that his government had no information about the PM’s motorcade taking the road route.
The state government today set up a high-level committee to probe lapses during PM Modi’s visit to the state.
Punjab government spokesperson said that the committee would comprise Justice (Retd.) Mehtab Singh Gill and Principal Secretary, home affairs and Justice, Anurag Verma. The panel has been asked to submit its report within three days, the spokesperson added.
Former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has sought resignation from Channi saying that the Punjab government cannot provide smooth passage to the Prime Minister of the country and that too just 10 kilometres from the Pakistan border.
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