Bengaluru (Karnataka): Accusing the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) of politicising PM's security breach and framing the first Dalit Chief Minister of Punjab, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said that Channi is a very simple man and it's not fair to make such allegations against him. Kharge also alleged that the BJP is trying to destabilise the Punjab government.
"Charanjit Singh Channi is the first Dalit Chief Minister of Punjab. He is a very simple man. It's not fair to make allegations against him. The BJP is trying to destabilse the Punjab govt", Kharge said.
Speaking at a joint press conference with KPCC president DK Shivakumar at the KPCC office in Bengaluru Congress senior leader Kharge said, "There is misinformation in the media regarding PM Modi's security breach when the PM was on his way to Ferozpur for a rally on Wednesday. BJP leaders are making false allegations to bring down Channi-led Punjab govt".
Modi was stuck on a flyover for 15-20 minutes on Wednesday due to the blockade, an incident the Union home ministry described as a "major lapse" in his security.
READ: Sonia Gandhi seeks report from Punjab CM on PM's security lapse
'Security breach from the Center'
"It's not a security breach that took place from Punjab govt but from the Centre itself. They had to land at 4 places and they had minute-to-minute information. How about a security failure though? Intelligence Bureau and Security Forces will inquire about it. More importantly, BJP expected that 70,000 people to gather at the rally but there were only 700 people. Also, four to five thousand police personnel were deployed there. This is why they have cancelled the rally. But now they are posing it as a security threat," he added.
Kharge also alleged that the PM's office changed the minute-to-minute programme in 20 minutes and opted to reach Ferozepur by road instead of helicopter.
Kharge also alleged that the 'major security lapse' due to road blockade by some protesters which forced Prime Minister Narendra Modi to return without attending a public meeting at Ferozepur in Punjab, was "failure" of the Centre.
He also rejected "security threat to the Prime Minister because he is protected much more" compared to the security cover given to the then Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
"The PM has the security 10 times more than Nehru, Indira and Rajiv. He (Modi) has the best foreign-made bulletproof car. Yet, they (BJP) are blaming the Punjab government," Kharge said.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi also expressed regret after Modi had to cut short his visit to the state, but asserted that there was no security lapse.
