Prime Minister Narendra Modi was stuck on a flyover in Punjab on January 5th for nearly 20 minutes. Modi’s cavalcade was stuck on the flyover due to farmers blocking the flyover. There was a major security lapse in Punjab.
The MHA in a statement said, “The PM’s schedule and travel plan was communicated well in advance to Punjab Government. As per procedure, they have to make necessary arrangements for logistics, security as well as keep a contingency plan ready. Also in view of the contingency plan Punjab Government has to deploy additional security to secure any movement by road, which were clearly not deployed.”
CM Charanjit Singh Channi, while addressing a press conference said, “The Prime Minister was not attacked. There was no threat to his life. It was just an agitation. There was a peaceful protest on the way. This is wrong to say that there was a security lapse. There should not be any politics in this. We have respect for our PM.”
He further stated, “The Punjab Police is capable of providing security. All this happened because the PM’s way of travel was changed at the last minute. Yet, the PM’s office was informed beforehand that agitators had assembled on the road. He decided to cancel his rally. His team took the decision of cancelling the rally. He could have used his chopper.”
He said that he had to receive the Prime Minister at Bathinda but he didn’t, as some of the members who had to accompany him tested positive for covid. So, he assigned the duty to receive Modi to Finance Minister and Deputy CM.
Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said, “Complete failure of law & order in Punjab, chief minister and home minister, in particular. When you can’t provide smooth passage to PM of the country and that too, just 10 km from the Pakistan border, you have no right to stay in office and should quit.”