by According to news agency ANI, PM Modi on his return to Bhatinda airport told officials there, “Apne CM ko thanks kehna ki mein Bhatinda airport tak zinda laut paaya (Say thanks to your chief minister that I could return alive till Bhatinda airport).”
The Prime Minister, who was on his way to the National Martyrs Memorial in Hussainiwala by road, was forced to cancel his onward journey after the incident and returned to Bhatinda.
The Union home ministry in a statement blamed the Punjab government for the major security lapse and sought a report from the Channi government.
Security breach during PM’s Punjab visit: Live updates
It asked the state government to fix responsibility for the lapse and take strict action.
According to government sources, the flyover incident was a scene of connivance between the Punjab police and so called protesters who had blocked the road.
“Only Punjab police knew the precise route of the PM,” the government sources added.
The MHA said that PM’s schedule and travel plan was communicated well in advance to the Punjab government, but no additional security was deployed to secure his movement by road as per procedure.
The Prime Minister was originally scheduled to take a helicopter to visit the National Martyrs Memorial.
However, when he landed in Bhatinda in the morning there was rain and the visibility was poor.
PM Modi waited for about 20 minutes for the weather to clear out and then decided to take the road journey.
The BJP blamed the Congress government in Punjab for the security lapse and accused chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi of not responding to SOS calls.
(With inputs from agencies)
