New Delhi, Jan 6 (IANS): The Congress is witnessing internal bickering on the issue of security breach of the Prime Minister and Congress MP from Punjab Manish Tewari has termed the incidence as most unfortunate and said the matter should be probed by a sitting High Court Judge.
Tewari's reaction comes a day after the incident and fellow congressman Sunil Jakhar's comment who too has termed it unfortunate, while Congress is officially blaming the SPG for making last minute changes in PM's schedule.
Tewari said, "I have been carefully watching the unfolding controversy about @PMOIndia as trip to Punjab Yesterday. I did not want to give a knee jerk off the cuff anodyne reaction. What happened yesterday was most unfortunate, it should not have happened. @PMOIndia as security is governed by an Act of Parliament - The SPG Act of 1988 as amended in 2019."
"Security breech involving @PMOIndia is a sensitive matter & should not be turned into a political football. Let entire sequence of events be enquired into by sitting judge of High Court to establish correct facts."
Similarly on Wednesday Sunil Jakhar had also said, "What has happened today is just not acceptable. It's against Panjabiyat. A secure passage for the Prime Minister of India to address BJP's political rally in Ferozepur should have been ensured. That's how democracy works."
The Punjab government on Thursday announced to constitute a high-level committee for a thorough probe into the lapses.
An official spokesperson said the committee would comprise Justice (retd) Mehtab Singh Gill and Principal Secretary (Home Affairs) Anurag Verma. The committee will submit its report within three days.
Regretting that Modi had to cancel his scheduled visit to Ferozepur midway, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday said there was no security lapse that led to the cancellation of the Prime Minister's visit to the district bordering Pakistan.
"We were told that the Prime Minister would fly by helicopter from Bathinda to Ferozepur. But all of a sudden, he decided to move by road. If there were any security lapses during PM Modi's visit, we are ready for probe the matter," Channi had told the media.