Home Ministry Forms Committee to Probe Security Breach That Exposed PM Modi to 'Grave Security Risk'

Amid politics over the lapses in the security cover of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Punjab visit on Wednesday, the Home Minister has constituted a three-member committee to probe the “serious lapses in the security arrangements” that “led to the exposure of the VVIP to grave security risk”.

The three-member committee will be led by Sudhir Kumar Saxena, Secretary (Security), Cabinet Secretariat and include Balbir Singh, Joint Director of Intelligence Bureau, and S Suresh, Inspector-General of SPG. The committee is advised to submit its report at the earliest.

As visuals of the prime minister’s convoy stuck on a flyover in Punjab for 15-20 minutes emerged, a war of words erupted in poll-bound Punjab, with the BJP accusing the Punjab government of harbouring “murderous intent” towards the PM even as the Charanjit Singh Channi government slammed the “gimmick”.

The Congress maintains that PM’s travel plans were changed without the knowledge of the state police – in complete breach of protocol.

In further trouble for the Channi government, a petition has been filed before the Supreme Court, calling for the dismissal of Punjab’s Home Minister and the police chief. The top court will hear the matter on Friday.

Prime Minister Modi was in Punjab on Wednesday to dedicate projects worth Rs 42,000 crore to the people. He landed in Bathinda in the morning from where he was scheduled to fly to Ferozepur for a rally. However, bad weather forced a change in plans and PM Modi decided to cover the 100km distance by road – a two-hour drive.

Just 10km ahead of the venue, his cavalcade was met by protesting farmers, keeping the convoy along with the PM waiting on the bridge for 20 minutes. They finally had to turn back with the PM reportedly telling airport officials to “thank their Chief Minister” that he made it alive to the airport.

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