PM Modi’s Security Lapse: Is The Farmers’ Protest Being Pushed Way Too Far?

PM Modi lays down the foundation of several projects in Manipur, Tripura and other states of nations. One of those developmental projects were also thought to be started in Punjab.

What was the security lapse?

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi visited Punjab to dedicate projects worth Rs 42,000 crore to the people. He arrived in Bathinda early in the morning, from where he planned to travel to Ferozepur for a rally. However, poor weather caused a change in plans lead to cancellation of Ferozepur rally, and PM Modi chose to drive the 100km — a two-hour trip. 

His cavalcade was confronted by protesting farmers just 10 kilometers from the destination, forcing the convoy and the PM to wait on the bridge for 20 minutes. They were eventually forced to return, with the PM allegedly telling airport personnel to "praise their Chief Minister" that he made it to the airport safely.

Travel records to be preserved

The Supreme Court demands that travel records be preserved because of a lapse in PM security.

The Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has been ordered to "keep all records in his safe custody," and the Punjab Police, the Special Protection Group (SPG), and other Centre and state agencies have been ordered to "cooperate and provide necessary assistance" to him, according to the Supreme Court.

The security breakdown is a "rarest of the rare" case that might create international embarrassment, the Centre said the Supreme Court, in support of a petition seeking for a National Investigation Agency investigation (NIA).

Operational and positional threat 

According to an intel note, the State government was aware of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's threat in Ferozepur but failed to act on it.

The Punjab government was notified about the smuggling activities taking place in the Ferozepur area, and how they presented a threat to PM Modi's security, according to the message.

The intel brief added PM Modi poses a high level of operational as well as a positional threat because the major program's location is positioned at an aerial distance of 14-15 kilometers from the Indo-Pak border.