A day after a "major lapse" in his security in Punjab, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, 6 January, met President Ram Nath Kovind and gave him a "first-hand account of the security breach in his convoy".
The president expressed his concerns about the "serious lapse", a statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan said on Thursday.
PM Modi too tweeted about the meeting and said that he was thankful for his good wishes.
Earlier on Thursday, Vice President of India (VP) Venkaiah Naidu also took to Twitter to express "deep concerns" over the matter.
"Vice President of India, Shri MVenkaiah Naidu today spoke to the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi about the security lapse during PM's visit to Punjab yesterday. He expressed his deep concern at the security breach and hoped that stringent steps will be taken to scrupulously adhere to established security protocol and ensure such a situation doesn’t recur in future (sic)," the VP's office said.
What Had Happened?
On Wednesday, PM Modi, who had been scheduled to address a rally in Punjab had to return to Bhatinda airport and cut his visit short, after a 'security lapse'.
In a statement, the MHA said that around 30 km away from the National Martyrs Memorial in Hussainiwala, the PM’s convoy, which was on a flyover, couldn't proceed further as the road was blocked by some protesters. Earlier, the PM was supposed to be flown to the site of the rally in Ferozepur but the plan was changed to a drive after the weather turned inclement.
As per reports, the protesters, belonging to Kisan Mazdoor Sangrash Committee (KMSC), were staging a demonstration against the PM's visit.
"The PM was stuck on a flyover for 15-20 minutes. This was a major lapse in the security of the PM," the statement from the MHA read.
The press release stated further: "The MHA has taken cognisance of this serious security lapse and has sought a detailed report from the state government. The state government has also been asked to fix responsibility for this lapse and take strict action."
Political Row Over Incident
The incident has become a huge political row, with the MHA asking for a probe to be carried out by the Punjab government into the incident.
Union Minister Smriti Irani has accused the Congress of wanting to harm Modi, and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma termed the alleged obstruction a "matter of shame".
Home Minister Amit Shah also reiterated the allegations of the party and tweeted, "Today's Congress-made happening in Punjab is a trailer of how this party thinks and functions. Repeated rejections by the people have taken them to the path of insanity."
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, on his part, expressed regret over the PM's sudden exit from Ferozepur, but also said:
"If PM has said something out of anger or due to politics, I won't comment on it. But I will say one thing, you're our PM. As a Punjabi I would lay down my life to protect you. But there was no danger to his (PM Modi's) life."
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