Govt to fix accountability, probe ordered
LUCKNOW: The latest instance of breach in chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s security has been taken seriously by the government that now plans to fix accountability for the lapse.
Wednesday’s breach – fifth overall – near the Lucknow University (LU) campus happened despite a specific intelligence input that some student wings of various political parties were also planning to lodge a protest at Gate No.1 of the university.
A source said Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) sleuths had sent a report to senior authorities and the police station concerned, mentioning that a group of students may stage such a protest. The sources said the personnel at Hasanganj police station, under which Lucknow University comes, had questioned some students regarding the alert but failed to make proper arrangements to avert any such attempt.
Timings vary as to how long the CM’s cavalcade was halted – with different versions putting the halt from one minute to two – but the latest breach could well make heads roll.
Yogi Adityanath is a Z plus protectee, with protection detail from the elite National Security Guard (NSG).
The NSG specialises in providing security when the protectee is on the move. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi was guarded by the NSG during his stint as Gujarat chief minister.
“We have set up an inquiry to fix accountability. Those guilty will be punished,” Lucknow SSP Deepak Kumar told HT. There were reports that the Lucknow DM Kaushal Raj Sharma and SSP were summoned by the CM in connection with the lapse. Kumar denied the reports even though experts admit that CM’s cavalcade, that usually gets a free run, being forced to stop is a “serious matter.”
Former UP DGP Prakash Singh said, “I am not aware whether it’s a security lapse or a case of a popular politician asking the police not to act tough on people including those who may not agree with him but I agree cavalcade being halted in such a manner is not such a good thing.”
The first breach had taken place near the Lucknow GPO when the CM was on way to meet an acid attack victim in King George’s Medical University (KGMU) on March 24.
HT has in its possession a video of how a scooterist had come on the path of the CM’s fleet seconds before it passed him.
“Such breaches were unimaginable during former CM Mayawati’s tenure,” a former cop said. In May, when the CM was on a tour of Azamgarh, a 33-year old woman had forced the CM’s convoy to stop.
The woman, Shubhawati, was demanding better pay for community health workers. On that occasion Yogi had reportedly asked the officials to allow the woman to meet him. In May again, some VHP and BJP workers also forced the CM’s convoy to stop in Bareilly. “If it’s a case of people wanting to take advantage of a CM who wants to be nice to people, then we would surely need to act. Probably we would be stricter in future,” a senior police official citing anonymity said.
In February, a month before the change of guard in the state, a businessman was booked for overtaking the fleet that was going to receive the then chief minister Akhilesh Yadav from the airport.
“Back then action was initiated even when the fleet was going to fetch the VIP protectee. So if such incidents keep happening we would be forced to act tough,” a police official said.
YOGI ADITYANATH IS A Z PLUS PROTECTEE, WITH PROTECTION DETAIL FROM THE ELITE NATIONAL SECURITY GUARD (NSG). THE NSG SPECIALISES IN PROVIDING SECURITY WHEN THE PROTECTEE IS ON THE MOVE.