With "major lapse" occurring in security during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Punjab on Wednesday as he was stuck on a flyover for 15-20 minutes due to blockade by some protestors, government sources said the state Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and DGP normally receive the Prime Minister during his visit to any state and accompany him and "neither of them were there today".
Government sources said in fact cars reserved for Chief Secretary and DGP were part of the Prime Minister's cavalcade and asked if the "top officers of the state had an inkling of what was going to happen and hence decided to skip?" "Normally during a PM visit to any state, the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and DGP are there to receive the PM and accompany him. Today neither of the three were there," a government source said.
The Home Ministry has taken cognisance of the "serious security lapse" and has sought a detailed report from the Punjab government. The state government has also been asked to fix responsibility for this lapse and take strict action.
Government sources also said what was witnessed on the flyover was "a surprising scene of connivance between Punjab police and so called protestors". They said only Punjab police knew the precise route of the PM and "never has such police behavior been witnessed".
PM Modi was scheduled to visit Ferozepur on Wednesday to lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 42,750 crore.
