There are reports that the Centre may use the Special Protection Group (SPG) Act against the Punjab Police official following the security lapse while Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Punjab and was stopped by addressing the rally at Ferozpur.
On Wednesday, a major controversy erupted in Punjab after PM Modi was stopped 30 km from the National Martyrs Memorial in Hussainiwala, Punjab. Following this Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a statement alleged that there was a “major lapse in the security of PM,” and that it is “taking cognisance of this serious security lapse” and has asked for a thorough report from the state government. “State Government has also been asked to fix responsibility for this lapse and take strict action,” MHA added.
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Now, there are reports that the Centre is planning to take action against Punjab Police. “What happened on Wednesday in Punjab is a violation of the SPG Act as the state government failed to follow all protocols set by the SPG for the PM’s movement. Things are being worked out. Action will be taken,” a source close to the government said.
SPG Act will provide all assistance to SPG during the PM’s movement. The provision, titled “Assistance to Group,” read, “It shall be the duty of every Ministry and Department of the Central Government or the State Government or the Union Territory Administration, every Indian Mission, every local or other authority or every civil or military authority to act in aid of the Director or any member of the Group whenever called upon to do so in furtherance of the duties and responsibilities assigned to such Director or member.”
Latest Update: Ministry of Home Affairs has informed that a committee has been made to conduct the enquire security lapse during the Prime Minister’s visit to Fezorpur. The tweet read, “Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) has constituted a committee to enquire into the serious lapses in the security arrangements during Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to Ferozepur, Punjab on 05.01.2022, which led to the exposure of the VVIP to grave security risk.”
It further informed that the committee will be led by Cabinet Secretariat Sudhir Kumar Saxena. “The three-member committee will be led by Shri Sudhir Kumar Saxena, Secretary (Security), Cabinet Secretariat and comprising of Shri Balbir Singh, Joint Director, IB and Shri S. Suresh, IG, SPG. The committee is advised to submit the report at the earliest,” it wrote.