PM’s life threat ‘gimmick’ aimed at toppling my Govt: Punjab CM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday briefed President Ram Nath Kovind about the security breach during his visit to Punjab as the President expressed concern over a “serious lapse.”
At the same time, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday minced no words in saying that the Prime Minister’s “life threat gimmick” was aimed at toppling a democratically-elected Government in 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 said.
In a “major security lapse”, the Prime Minister’s convoy was stranded on a flyover due to a blockade by protesters in Ferozepur on Wednesday. He returned from poll-bound Punjab without attending any event, including a rally.
Taking to Twitter, Modi said, “Called on Rashtrapati Ji. Thankful to him for his concern. Grateful for his good wishes, which are always a source of strength.”
Earlier, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu spoke to Modi about the incident and expressed his deep concern.
Naidu also expressed the hope that stringent steps will be taken to scrupulously adhere to established security protocol and ensure such a situation doesn’t recur in future, the Vice President’s office said on Twitter.
Chief Minister Channi has denied any security lapse or political motive behind it.
“There was no threat to the life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but he canceled his program on Wednesday because of the thin presence of people in BJP’s rally,” said Channi while addressing the gathering in Hoshiarpur after laying the foundation stone of several developmental projects worth Rs 18 crore.
He said that “empty chairs” chided the PM on his visit to Punjab due to which he went back to the national Capital citing “frivolous reason of security threat”.
“The false pretext, on which PM cancelled his visit, is a part of larger conspiracy to defame Punjab and murder democracy in the State on lines of what was done earlier in Jammu & Kashmir,” said Channi.
The Chief Minister questioned how the PM’s life would be threatened if the protestors were more than a kilometer away from him. “At the place where the cavalcade of PM stopped, not even a slogan was raised...then how his life was threatened,” said Channi reminding the PM that Punjabis have sacrificed life for unity, integrity, and sovereignty of the country and they can never pose any danger to life and security of the PM.
“The PM is a respected leader of the nation but it doesn’t behove a leader of his stature to indulge in such cheap theatricals. The thin presence of the public in the rally has exposed BJP’s poor position in the State which is not going down well to its entire leadership,” said Channi.
Citing a comparison, Channi said: “Weather was poor yesterday also and is poor today too. But, there were very few takers for BJP’s rally on Wednesday whereas today’s rally of the Congress across the State is swelling with people.”
“Yesterday’s gimmick by the PM and his coterie is aimed at imposing the President’s rule in the State,” he said while reminding the Prime Minister that Punjab can be won only by love and not by pressure. Punjabis will vehemently oppose any such move to destabilise democracy in the State, he added.
The Chief Minister also urged the PM to stop defaming the State and its people for vested political interests. “Punjabis have played a key role in the socio-economic development of the country besides safeguarding its borders. The slanderous campaign, launched by the BJP is an insult of all the Punjabis, which is unwarranted and undesirable,” he added.
Quipping on former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, Channi described him as a “political deadwood” which was evident from the fact that the royal scion of Patiala addressed empty chairs in rally on Wednesday. “Everyone knows Captain has backstabbed Punjab due to which no one wants to listen to him...The day is not far when all the candidates of Maharaja will lose their deposits in the polls,” he added.