Amid the ongoing issue of security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Punjab, several former Police officers, including a few DGPs on Thursday wrote to the President of India - Ram Nath Kovind raising their concern about the security lapse.
The police officers in their letter to the president have urged to take an immediate action on the intentional and planned security lapse by the Punjab government .
In a four paged detailed letter, former Punjab DGP, P.C. Dogra and former Maharashtra DGP, Praveen Dixit on the behalf of all police officers wrote, "We, the former Police Officers, having devoted our life time to serve in different capacities all over India, are surprised to the happening in the border State of Punjab when the journey of the Prime Minister on a scheduled visit was interrupted by a crowd of protestors blocking the road was not only a sheer lapse of security but a shameful open display of collusion of the state machinery with the so called protestors to embarrass and harm the Prime Minister."
The gravity of the incident and its national and international repercussion forced us to approach yourself to take appropriate action," they wrote in their letter.
The stoppage of the carcade of the Prime Minister of the Country for approx. 15 to 20 minutes in a planned manner on a flyovery bridge, demonstrates poor law and order in Punjab and threatens the democracy in our country, the police officers said.
The PM is provided the SPG security as per the settled protocol wherein the MHA coordinates with the State Police, which is primarily responsible for the travel and security within the state and has to provide secure passage on all the routes, and roads as per the settled protocol.
The police officers further said that the media reports clearly show that it is not only a casual approach displayed by the State Government but there appears to be a clear involvement of the state functionaries which has resulted in this horrific incident of security breach.
"We are approaching youself for the reason that it has never happened in the history of this nation that the State agencies are making one or the other excuse and there are contradictory statements even at the level of the chief Minister, regarding the route of the Prime Minister which has been blocked by the so called protestors. If it is not understood that how the protestors were aware of the route, the information of which otherwise is shared only with the State Police officials and the so called protestors were present in huge numbers, that too on a bridge/ flyover which obstructed the convoy of the Prime Minister, which resulted into the serious security lapse," the letter mentioned further.
The police further said that the videos on television channels and in the print media clearly show that no Senior Police Officer was present on the spot. Rather surprisingly the police officials instead of making efforts to remove the so called protestors, were only enjoying tea, which betrays their intentions.
By evening, we were more surprised as the video clips which were shown in the Media, clearly indicate a bigger conspiracy which requires detailed and fair investigation. "This is one of the gravest security lapses in the history of this Country committed through conspiracy and collusion," the officers condemned.
"Punjab is already a very sensitive State which is close to the International Border with Pakistan and it has been reported in the media in the past, regarding terror acts supported by the Countries across border to disturb the peace of the state, they said highlighting the recent IED Blast at District Courts at Ludhiana.
The officials concluded their letter saying, "We, the Former Police Officers, request your honour to take Immediate action on this matter having serious bearing on the National Security and state responsibility of maintain law and order in a border state going for election in a few month."
