A senior official of the Ministry of the Interior (MHA) said that despite the information about the protesters, Punjab police did not follow the “blue book” and did not prepare emergency routes for the Prime Minister’s visit.

The Blue Book of the Special Protection Group (SPG) sets out safety guidelines for protecting the prime minister.

“According to the Blue Book, the state police must prepare emergency routes for protected persons in case of any adverse situations, such as what happened in Punjab during the Prime Minister’s visit,” MHA officials said.

He added that officers from the Intelligence Agency are in contact with the Punjab police and have issued warnings about the protesters’ activities, and the Punjab police assured them that they would provide full protection to the VIPs.

Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel still maintain close contact with the Prime Minister, while other security measures are the responsibility of the state government. The official added that if any sudden developments occur, the state police will update the SPG and VIP actions will change accordingly. In 2021, approximately 150 drone sightings were recorded at the Punjab border in Pakistan, and many such sightings are still uncounted. Many drones are also loaded with tiffin bombs, grenades, pistols and cash.

A team of MHA is seeking details of the deployment, picketing, rooftop deployment, roadblocks and other security measures taken by the Punjab police during the Prime Minister’s visit.

He added: “The intelligence agency has been asked to submit a report on the security breach.”

On November 4, Punjab police found a teapot full of explosives in a farmland near the India-Pakistan border in Ferozepur District.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to visit Ferozepur on Wednesday to lay the foundation for multiple development projects worth more than Rs 42,750 crore.

The Ministry of the Interior is aware of the “serious security breach” and has sought a detailed report from the Punjab government. The state government is also required to hold accountable for this mistake and take strict action.

The Ministry of the Interior said in a statement that Prime Minister Modi landed in Batinda on Wednesday morning and will take a helicopter from there to the National Martyrs Memorial in Husseinwara. Due to rain and poor visibility, the Prime Minister waited about 20 minutes until the weather turned clear.

The statement stated that when the weather did not improve, it was decided to visit the National Martyrs Memorial by land, which took more than two hours. After the DGP Punjab Police Department confirmed the necessary security arrangements, the Prime Minister began to travel by land.

About 30 kilometers away from the National Martyrs Memorial of Husseinwara, when the prime minister’s convoy reached a flyover, the road was blocked by some protesters. The Prime Minister was trapped on the flyover for 15-20 minutes.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times