Was It A Sinister Plan In Punjab ?
In 1984, in the aftermath of Mrs Indira Gandhi’s assassination, 9 PARA SF was rushed forthwith from Udhampur to New Delhi to secure the new Prime Minister, Shri Rajiv Gandhi. The entire route from Pathankot to the borders of Haryana was secured and kept free for the military convoy to move at speed. This was done by the Punjab Police.
This same police force,37 years down the line, it seems, failed to secure the convoy route for the move of the Prime Minister’s convoy.
This kind of lapse is in unpardonable. The DGP of Punjab, the concerned IG, the DIG and the SSP of the District should be retired forthwith under the Service rules by the Central Government or by the President under the Doctrine of Pleasure that is Article 311 if the Constitution. Similar should be the case with Chief Secretary, Home Secretary,concerned Commissioner and the District Deputy Commissioner.
Thereafter an enquiry should be held by a Sitting Judge and the guilty should be dismissed from service. Penal sentence must be awarded to those proven guilty of criminal negligence.
Down below is the view of a veteran officer who was serving with Director General Security in 1984 and had been associated with the security of Shri Rajiv Gandhi prior to formation of SPG.
The video footage of Modi’s convoy stuck on the road for 20 minutes because of the farmer’s agitation near Firozpur in Punjab, was not just a security lapse but something more sinister.
Having been involved in the PM security of Mr Rajiv Gandhi after the assassination of Mrs Indira Gandhi as part of Special Group and having been involved in raising the SPG and NSG I will like to share a few facts about who is responsible for what?
1) Though PM’s personal security is handled by SPG, still the security on the road is to be handled by the state governments.
2) Union home ministry works with the state government well in advance to finalize travel security details.
3) The plan includes main plan, backup plans A, B and C. All these plans are finalized with the state home department and IGP. Nothing is decided at the last moment. But the alternative travel routes (backup plans A, B, C) are kept secret. Only top 2-3 state officers and the IB know the plans.
4) In the present case, everyone knew, PM was going to take a helicopter from Bhatinda to Firozpur. There was no secret in it. But due to bad weather and poor visibility the PM decided not to travel by the helicopter and after due confirmation decided to travel by road.
5) This was not a surprise to the Punjab government. This would have been already discussed during finalizing the backup plans A, B or C. The only unknown factor was whether he would take route A, B or C? But the state government should have prepared to clear all the three routes as a contingency plan.
6) When PM decided to take a road trip, it was communicated to the IGP of Punjab police. He must have assessed the best route to take and advised PM security accordingly. This is the reason, it took 20 minutes for PM to start road journey from Bhatinda airport.
7) This decision of choosing a route should be kept secret till the very last moment and even when it is decided, it should be communicated only to a few, that too on a need to know basis. Hence it should be kept very secret. This is the procedure as per the standard security protocol, which is also called the Blue Book.
If the choosen route was kept secret then how come the agitators reached the route? Which means, the top secret information was leaked from Punjab police. It is not at all difficult to find the leak because only top few police officers knew the route. I am sure central government will find it out. But the point is, breach of security happened from Punjab police for sure.
Another point, when PM’s convoy was stopped by the protestors on the bridge, very soon after that, his return road was blocked by the upcoming vehicles. Which means, he had no way to take a U turn and go back.
This is a very serious lapse of security. The state police should have controlled the traffic on this route in such a way that no vehicle can reach within few kilometers of PM’s convoy.
Look at the situation,
1) PM was blocked on the bridge, which means he had no way to turn right or left.
2) Obviously, he cannot move forward because of protestors.
3) He cannot go back because the road behind is blocked by other vehicles.
This means he was trapped in such a way that he cannot escape.
What was the real plan by the Punjab government?
Look at the main points again;
1) Punjab government did not secure the PM’s route. They did not clear the roads in advance.
2) Punjab government leaked the actual route to the protestors so that they could block the road with a short notice.
3) When PM’s convoy was blocked by the protestors, Punjab police should have immediately stopped traffic coming from behind, which again they did not do.
4) When the protestors started moving closer to the PM’s convoy, Punjab police did not use any force to stop them.
5) Usually as per the protocol, Punjab CM should have gone to receive him at Bhatinda and accompany him till Firozpur. But he decided not to go. Only a minister welcomed PM at Bhatinda and left him there. He too was not traveling with PM. This means, no political leader from Punjab Congress party was with PM accompanying him to Firozpur.
In short, PM was blocked, isolated and left to face protestors with lathis and swords and may be other lethal weapons.
What was the plan…???
Was it to kill Modi in Punjab?
Why did it fail?
The plan was to assassinated him on the road but the assassins could not reach there in time?
Or PM’s convoy took a U turn too early and because of which assassins could not do their job?
I am sure something failed in this plan that is why PM Modi is alive today.
The Assassination was certainly planned with full cooperation from the state government the elements of Khalistan and the ISI.
PM is not a person but an institution. Indian constitution mandates providing full security to the PM.
It is not at the discretion of the state government whether to provide the security or not. It is a constitutional obligation.
Failing this obligation amounts to challenging the UNION OF INDIA and its sovereignty.
Central government should sack the Punjab government and impose President’s rule.
This action is needed so that other states like Maharashtra, West Bengal etc. should not dare to do the same.
And…
Congress government in Punjab should not use the khalistanis and the Pakistani terrorists to start a new chapter of bloody violence in the State which is being planned by ISI. Even the so called Kishan Andolan was and is sponsored to destabilize India.
By an ex veteran and a Special Forces man.
