PM’s security sacrosanct: Don’t play politics with it
Even in the most politically divided of societies, especially a democratic one like India; there is a need for a minimum national consensus, which should never be questioned or disturbed. The most divided of polities must concede to this truism, and amongst the most sacrosanct of consensus must be around the security of the office of the Prime Minister of India. India has paid a huge price to political assassinations. We lost the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, to a murderer’s bullet. While in office, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was gunned down, while her son, a former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi lost his life to a security lapse, blown away by a suicide bomber.
The nation has paid a heavy price for each of these killings — a period of turmoil and chaos — and other unprecedented acts of social madness — leaving us shattered for long after the official period of mourning. Punjab, as a state, and Congress as a political party, have suffered a huge, disproportionate share of such episodes of national tragedy.
What happened to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday — when his convoy was forcibly stranded on a flyover for nearly 20 minutes on his way to an election rally in Ferozepur in Punjab — even as protesters blocked his way — was a clear breach of security of the highest official of the nation’s executive. It is absolutely unpardonable.
The political game of one-upmanship and pointing the blame started almost immediately after Prime Minister Modi was taken back to the airport, without attending the rally. Both the Congress and the BJP must realise that Mr Modi is the Prime Minister of India, of over 140 crore people — not of a political party. His security cannot be compromised at any cost, and no one responsible for the lapse should be spared.
The Punjab state government has clearly failed in its task to ensure a glitch-free transit for Mr Modi. The state police had given the SPG a blocked route to travel. If the police have shared such sensitive and confidential information with protesters at the site, it is a breach of criminal magnitude.
In an election year, bitter graceless politicking over the issue has come as a highly disappointing development for the people who believe in democracy most. The matter would be held in the Supreme Court on Friday even as a two-member panel has been appointed to probe the entire incident.
The report should bring to fore the reasons for the lapses and punish those who erred, but also, more significantly, ensure there are lessons for all state governments. The PM security playbook must be made free of any error and clear rules defined to the tiniest detail, comprehensively covering every possibility.
Political parties and leaders, without exception, must desist from making this issue a political debate, or worse, a mockery of the situation and lowering the seriousness of the matter. India owes it to its Prime Minister, people and a sense of having learnt from history.
The PM security playbook must be made free of any
error and clear rules defined to the tiniest detail, comprehensively covering every
possibility