NEW DELHI: The Congress raised questions on Kiran Bhai Patel of Ahmedabad moving around Kashmir for five months enjoying the Z-plus security cover and hospitality, posing as an additional secretary in the Prime Minister's office (PMO).
He was arrested by police from a 5-star hotel in Srinagar on March 3, Congress media department head Pawan Khera said the person who provided him all the security will have to resign for the lapse. He even went to the Kashmir valley with his family.
"A very serious matter pertaining to the country's security and the government probably was not focussed on such matters as it was "busy protecting the Prime Minister's best friend," Khera said.
He asserted at a Press conference at the AICC headquarters here: "If anyone asks questions to the Modi government, he is anti-national. Which national interest are you serving? If you are at least a little serious about the security of the nation, then tell me that at the political level who will resign in this matter?"
"Our three essential questions are — can a PMO officer get Z+ security, should Z+ security be given and is Z+ security availed so easily. It is very important to know from which level the instructions to give security to a thug came?" he said.
Conman moving freely in sensitive areas
Khera said the conman was freely moving around the sensitive areas of Kashmir since October and his activities, including the armed guards, could be seen on his Twitter post.
He said the matter would not have come to light, but for the law requiring production of the crook before the magistrate's court. He was picked up on March 3, but the media got scent of it only on Friday when the case came up before a magistrate.
Khera said the government failed to prevent the media report the conman's activities and wondered whether those who reported may be haunted by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate and dubbed as anti-nationals.
Failure of government's intelligence
In a sensitive area like Jammu and Kashmir, a person has been cheating the security forces for five months and is roaming in those areas with Z+ security by making a PMO card, where common citizens cannot go, he said and raised questions over failure of the government's intelligence mechanism.
Patel was on his third visit to the Kashmir valley and was subsequently nabbed by alert security officials on March 3.
Patel had claimed he had been given a mandate by the government to identify buyers for apple orchards in south Kashmir and a couple of IAS officers were in awe of him as he had been dropping names of high-ranking bureaucrats and politicians in the national capital.
Conman allegedly a BJP member
Khera showed a video that shows the conman is a BJP member and his photos could be seen with Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President J P Nadda. His visiting card shows his address as a 34 Meena Baug, a flat allotted only to the members of Parliament or their guests.
He can't get the highest security cover of Z-plus unless allotted by the Home Ministry. Khera said an inquiry should be held to check how and who allotted him the Z-plus security cover. He even threatened the bureaucrats in J&K and he even moved into the areas where no civilians are allowed, Khera said.
He said the crook was putting videos of his activities. There are only 40 persons in India who enjoy the Z-plus security and their names are circulated to the state police. Khera described what all facilities are extended to a person. He said the fact is that no PMO official can get the Z-plus security that costs Rs 35 lakh. This facility can't be extended except by the Home Ministry.
Even the Intelligence Bureau keeps a watch on who gets this security. Khera said his lawyer has said two others in the company of Kiran were set free.
Pulwama, J&K DSP Davinder Singh escorting terrorists and now Kiran. Khera said what is the toolkit in which RDX reached Pulwama, how Davinder allowed to vanish and now this Kiran getting the Z-plus security.
