‘Who in Congress would benefit?’: Smriti Irani on PM’s security breach

Addressing a press conference an hour after the apex court’s order, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Smriti Irani asked: “Why were security measures for the Prime Minister, which are protocols, deliberately breached with active connivance of the Congress-led government (in Punjab)? Who sought to benefit in the Congress party from the breach of the Prime Minister’s security? Who in the Punjab government continued to deliberately ignore the threats to the Prime Minister’s security?” Irani said the Congress high command should respond to the questions.

She added she and BJP national media head Anil Baluni are reiterating the questions the party raised in the wake of “an expose by a national television channel”. This comes after India Today claimed that its investigation has “revealed that Punjab police knew about the farmer’s protest ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Ferozpur”.

Irani also sought to know why Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi briefed Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on the issue of the Prime Minister’s security breach.

“She (Vadra) has admitted in an interview that the Punjab Chief Minister had briefed her about the breach. The question arises what security clearance a citizen (Priyanka) has to have for a Chief Minister to brief her about the Prime Minister’s security protocols and breach – which are details that should have been limited to security agencies. Why did such a briefing take place for a private citizen? Why is that private citizen, a member of the Gandhi family, an interested party?” Irani asked

Irani’s questions come days after she slammed the Congress for the security breach.

Meanwhile, she declined to comment on the Supreme Court-appointed panel and said she will react after its findings are out if her party asks her to do so.

“The questions the nation asks the Congress are: Why did the Prime Minister’s security details give a false clearance of the route he had to take? Why did the administration not respond when it was breached? Why did the Congress leadership erupt with joy when the Prime Minister had his security breached?” Irani asked while alleging that the protesters were “planted” atop the flyover where the PM was stranded for 20 minutes.