State Department of Home Affairs will submit the report to the Centre
After the security lapse happened with the Prime Minister while heading towards Hussainiwala in Punjab, the Punjab Chief Secretary wrote to the Union Home Secretary Friday to update the centre on inquiries on the case.
Chief Secretary Anirudh Tewari told Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla a police case had been filed. Also, a two-member committee - Justice (retd.) Mehtab Gill and Anurag Verma, Principal Secretary of Punjab's Department of Home Affairs - would submit a report in three days.
As per the Union Home Ministry orders, the Punjab government's inquiry will run parallel. The inquiry will probe "security lapses" in security arrangements for the Prime Minister's visit to Ferozepur to address a rally ahead of next month's Assembly election.
According to the officials, the Home Ministry team will be led by Sudhir Kumar Saxena, Secretary (Security), and include Balbir Singh, Joint Director of the Intelligence Bureau, and S Suresh, Inspector-General of SPG. The committee has been advised to submit its report latest by three days.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court said to hear the issue today about the PM's security lapse. The petition by an NGO, Lawyers' Voice, has called for Mr. Tewari and the Director-General of Police, Siddharth Chattopadhyaya, to be held responsible and suspended pending action.
On Wednesday, a massive row broke out when PM Modi, who was on his way to Ferozepur for an election rally, was stopped for 20 minutes on a flyover. His convoy - he was travelling the 100 km from Bathinda to the rally by road after bad weather grounded his helicopter - was blocked by protesting farmers. He was stopped 10 km from the venue.
The Cong. led Punjab Govt. is facing fierce attacks by the BJP leaders on the issue. The Home Ministry has also said that the Punjab police doesn't follow the "Blue Book."
The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now.