Team News Riveting
New Delhi, January 6
The Union ministry of Home Affairs has constituted a three-member panel to probe serious lapses in security during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab on Wednesday that led to exposure of VVIP to grave risk.
Sudhir Saxena, Secretary, Security will lead the panel that includes Balbir Singh, Jt. Director, IB and S Suresh, IG, SPG
The cabinet meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister, was held virtually after a week’s gap. It started with several ministers raising the issue and expressing anguish over the manner in which the Congress government in Punjab has dealt with it.
Union minister Anurag Thakur later said big and tough decisions would be taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) after gathering information on the issue.
The sources said the issue was being discussed at the highest level and the Union home minister might take some exemplary action to avoid the recurrence of such an event.
Meanwhile, a flurry of political activities had started after Modi called on President Ram Nath Kovind and briefed him on the security breach during his visit to poll-bound Punjab.
“President Ram Nath Kovind met Prime Minister 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,” the president’s secretariat wrote on Twitter.
“Called on Rashtrapati Ji. Thankful to him for his concern. Grateful for his good wishes, which are always a source of strength,” Modi said in a tweet after his meeting with Kovind.
The Congress party has swung into action fearing stern action. Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi joined the other leaders to claim that what happened in Ferozepur wasn’t a security threat but aimed at imposing President’s Rule on the state.
On the other hand, Punjab Government has started the exercise to find the successor of Director General of Police Siddharth Chattopadhyaya, who is likely to face the axe for the serious security lapse. The 1987-batch IPS officer V K Bhawra could be the next Punjab DGP.
