Sack Punjab Dy CM for security breach, arrest chief secretary, police chief: BJP leader

BJP leader Tarun Chugh on Friday demanded the sacking of Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and the arrest of the state’s chief secretary and police chief for the security lapse during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Ferpzepur visit.

The BJP general secretary said an attempt to murder case should be registered against Chief Secretary Anirudh Tiwari and DGP Siddharth Chattopadhyaya for gross negligence, and they should be arrested.

Randhawa holds the home portfolio in the state cabinet.

In a statement, Chugh accused the state’s Congress government for flagrantly violating the rules laid down for the prime minister’s security.

“It was the complete responsibility of the Punjab government and it failed criminally to perform its duty,” he alleged.

Chugh said it was a matter of grave concern that the Punjab government “allowed” the incident to happen just 15 km from the India-Pakistan border.

''Was there a plot between Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his friend Navjot Sidhu to trap the Indian Prime Minister close to the international border?'' he asked, referring to the state Congress chief's reported friendship with the Pakistani leader.

He alleged a state government conspiracy to leak the PM route details to the protesters who blocked the road when Modi was visiting Ferozepur on Wednesday.

Modi returned without attending any event, triggering a slugfest between his party and the ruling Congress in Punjab. The Centre has blamed the state government for the lapse..

Chugh alleged that some of the farm protesters were “escorted and directed” by Punjab officials to reach the flyover where the prime minister’s convoy was stranded.

The BJP leader claimed no action was taken to ensure the PM’s security even though Additional Director General of Police Naresh Arora had given a report on a possible disturbance on the route.

''It is a black day for Punjab where the brave police force has been converted into a puppet force by the Congress government,'' he said.

The Punjab government has maintained there was no security lapse during Modi's visit. On Thursday, it announced a two-member panel to investigate the matter.

The Punjab Police has also registered an FIR in Ferozepur against 150 unidentified protesters who blocked Modi's cavalcade.