PM Modi's Ferozepur rally cancelled after 'security breach', BJP hits out at Punjab CM

Visuals from the site near Ferozepur where protesters blocked PM Modi's convoy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Ferozepur on January 5, where he was scheduled to inaugurate multiple projects worth Rs 42,750 crore, was cancelled following a "security breach".

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who arrived at the venue of the public meeting in Ferozepur, announced from the stage that the prime minister would not be able to address the gathering "due to some reasons".

Subsequently, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a statement confirming a "major security lapse" during Modi's visit to Punjab.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had earlier claimed that Ferozepur rally would be the biggest public meeting in the poll-bound state, lashed out at Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi for allegedly failing to address the security issues.

The prime minister, after landing in Bathinda earlier in the day, was scheduled to take the aerial route for Ferozepur. However, due to the rough weather, he decided to travel by road, the MHA said in a statement.

Around 30 km away from National Martyrs Memorial in Ferozepur's Hussainiwala, a group of protesters blocked Modi's convoy. The prime minister was "stuck on a flyover for 15-20 minutes", the statement noted, adding that "this was a major lapse in the security of PM".

"The Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a detailed report on today’s security breach in Punjab. Such dereliction of security procedure in the Prime Minister’s visit is totally unacceptable and accountability will be fixed," Union Home Minister Amit Shah said.

The Centre-ruling BJP was fiercely critical of the Channi government, accusing it of violating the "democratic principles".

"It is sad that the PM’s visit to launch development projects worth thousands of crores for Punjab was disrupted. But we will not let such cheap mentality hinder progress of Punjab and will continue the effort for the development of Punjab," BJP president JP Nadda tweeted.

"To make matters worse, CM Channi refused to get on the phone to either address the matter or solve it. The tactics used by the Congress government in Punjab would pain anyone who believes in democratic principles," Naddal further alleged.

The state police was instructed to prevent people from attending the rally. Large number of buses were stranded because of the high-handedness of the police & connivance with protestors.

— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) January 5, 2022

Also Read | Major connectivity projects to be inaugurated by PM at Ferozepur rally; check details

Channi, however, has refuted the allegations. "Till 3 am last night, I got all roads cleared after talks. PM had to come by air from Bathinda to Ferozepur...At the last minute, when in Bathinda, he changed his programme and said he will go by road. He should have told the Punjab government in advance, we could have made alternative arrangement as alternative routes are prepared for VIP movement," the chief minister told News18.

"But he proceeded by road without any prior programme and some took an opportunity and blocked the route. This was a natural happening...there were no lapses," Channi added.

On the cancellation of the Ferozepur rally, the chief minister said the party was trying to "find an excuse to cancel the event" due to the low turnout of attendees. "They had put 70,000 chairs but only 700 people came. So the excuse of rain or some other excuse was made and the rally got cancelled," he said.

Later, while addressing the press, Channi said, "If there were any security lapses during PM Modi's visit today, then we will conduct an inquiry. There was no danger to the prime minister."

At the Ferozepur event, the prime minister was scheduled to inaugurate projects including the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, four-laning of Amritsar - Una section, Mukerian - Talwara New Broad Gauge railway line, PGI Satellite Centre at Ferozepur and two new medical colleges at Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur.

Notably, this was Modi's first visit to Punjab since the scrapping of the contentious farm reform laws. The passage of the controversial laws in the Parliament, in September 2020, had triggered a year-long agitation in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.

While the agitation was suspended last month by the farmer unions, a section of protesters have demanded compensation from the central government for the kin of farmers who died during the protests.

The Union Agriculture Ministry had told the Parliament on December 1 that it has no data related to the death of farmers during the agitation. According to the Opposition, over 700 farmers lost their lives during the stir.