PM briefs President Kovind about 'security breach' in Punjab: BJP demands sacking of state Home Minister, DGP

Supreme Court to hear PM security breach petition on Friday

New Delhi: 

The Supreme Court will take up on Friday for hearing a petition on the issue of security breach to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's convoy in Punjab. 

The issue was raised in the apex court by counsel Maninder Singh on Thursday.

Following oral submission, Chief Justice NV Ramana.

advised Singh: "Serve a copy to State Government, we will take it tomorrow".

The Bench also included Justice Surya Kant and Justice Hima Kohli.

Singh, a former Additional Solicitor General, demanded a probe into the serious security breach in the 

Prime Minister's security before the three-judge Bench, sources said. 

Maninder Singh also requested for a direction to the Bathinda District Judge to take possession of 

all evidence relating to police and security bandobast for the Prime Minister's visit. 

"The Prime Minister was visiting Firozpur. It’s extremely relevant to ensure it (security breach) doesn’t happen 

again," the counsel said.

During the day, Vice President M.Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday spoke to the Prime Minister about the 

security breach in Punjab. 

Prime Minister Modi called on President Ram Nath Kovind and briefed him on Thursday after about the security related

issue.

On Wednesday, the prime minister was to visit Ferozepur and lay the foundation stone of multiple 

development projects worth over Rs 42,750 crore. 

PM Modi had last visited Punjab on November 9, 2019, to inaugurate the Kartarpur Corridor.

Unlike in the past and elsewhere, PM Modi's visit to Ferozepur in Punjab on Wednesday was seen

more than the normal routine political and developmental work-related exercise. It was like a  

path-finder in itself, as things have been quite different for Punjab politics in the last few months. 

Observers say the repeal of three contentious farm laws only shows the importance of the state, its farmers and 

other stakeholders.

In the words of former Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh, the Prime Minister has always been personally concerned about Punjab and the Punjabis.

Congress MP Sunil Jakhar on Wednesday tweeted: "What has happened today is just not acceptable.

It's against Panjabiyat. A secure passage for the Prime Minister of India to address BJP's political rally in

Ferozpur should have been ensured. That’s how democracy works".

  

ends 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met President Ram Nath Kovind in the capital and apprised him of Wednesday's developments in Punjab wherein due to a major security lapse Modi's Ferozepur rally and other programmes were canceled. 

Earlier President Kovind expressed concern over the breach in the Prime Minister’s security detail during the visit to Congress-ruled Punjab, where polls are due by next few weeks. 

"President Ram Nath Kovind met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan today and received from him a first-hand account of the security breach in his convoy in Punjab yesterday. The President expressed his concerns about the serious lapse," Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a tweet. 

The Home Ministry has sought detailed reports from the Punjab government on the lapse.

Former prime minister H D Devegowda termed the episode as unfortunate and cautioned against complacency in protecting the highest official of the state.

The BJP leaders in Punjab met Punjab governor and demanded the sacking of DGP Sidharth Chattopadhyay and Home Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa.

The Punjab government has meanwhile constituted a high-level committee to do a thorough probe into the 'lapses' during Prime Minister's visit to Ferozepur on Wednesday.

A panel comprising of Justice Mehtab Singh Gill (retd) and Principal Secretary (Punjab), Home Affairs and Justice Anurag Verma has been asked to submit its report within three days. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that such dereliction of the security procedure during the prime minister's visit is totally unacceptable and accountability would be fixed.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, however, denied there was any security lapse or political motive behind it and said his government was ready for an inquiry.