Home Ministry Sets Up Committee To Probe “Serious Lapses” In PM’s Security During Punjab Visit
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on January 6 constituted a committee to inquire into what it has termed “serious lapses” in the security arrangements for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s during his visit to Punjab on January 5.
The serious lapses in security arrangements for the Prime Minister “led to the exposure of the VVIP to grave security risk”, the MHA stated.
The three-member inquiry committee comprises senior officials from the Intelligence Bureau and Special Protection Group (SPG) which is responsible for the Prime Minister’s proximate security. The committee is led by Secretary (Security) in the Cabinet Secretariat Sudhir Kumar Saxena and includes Joint Director Intelligence Bureau Balbir Singh and Inspector-General SPG S. Suresh. The Secretary (Security) in the Cabinet Secretariat is the administrative head of the SPG.
The committee has been advised to submit its report at the earliest, the MHA spokesperson stated.
On January 5, had sought a detailed report on the security lapses from the Punjab Government, which was also asked to fix responsibility for this lapse and take action. The Punjab Government has announced setting up another committee headed by a retired judge, MS Gill, to inquire into the issue.
The Prime Minister was stranded on a flyover for about 20 minutes after his route was blocked by protestors while he was en route to the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district. Photographs emerged, showing the blockade with heavy vehicles and a crowd of people on the flyover in close proximity of the Prime Ministers cavalcade.
The Prime Minister was forced to return to the Bhatinda airbase after the Punjab Chief Minister and top officials of the state reportedly failed to respond to calls from the Prime Ministers Office when the Prime Minister was stuck on the flyover.
While the SPG is responsible for the inner cordon or proximate security of the Prime Minister, the state police is responsible for providing a secure cordon for his safe movement and sanitising the route of movement.
“He (the Prime Minister) proceeded to travel by road after necessary confirmation of necessary security arrangements by the DGP Punjab Police,” the MHA had stated on January 5. The Prime Minister to scheduled to fly to Ferozepur in an IAF Mi-17 helicopter after landing at the Bhatinda airbase from Delhi. But bad weather and poor visibility forced him to proceed to Hussainiwala by road from Bhatinda as per the contingency plan.
“Around 30 kms away from the National Martyrs Memorial in Hussainiwala, when the Prime Minister’s convoy reached a flyover, it was found that the road was blocked by some protestors. The Prime Minister was stuck on a flyover for 15-20 minutes. This was a major lapse in the security of the Prime Minister,” the MHA’s January 5 statement elaborated.
“The Prime Minister’s schedule and travel plan was communicated well in advance to the 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, the Punjab Government has to deploy additional security to secure any movement by road , which were clearly not deployed,” it added.
