Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi. 
Key Highlights
- PM Modi was on Wednesday forced to return to Bathinda airport after his convoy was blocked by protestors
- There was reportedly no additional security provided to the PM apart from his usual security cover
New Delhi: The lapse in the security cover of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Punjab on Wednesday has drawn severe criticism towards the ruling Congress dispensation in the state, so much so that party president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday reportedly dialed up Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi demanding strict action.
Sources have told Times Now that Sonia Gandhi sought strict action over the security lapse and told Channi that the security of the Prime Minister “is paramount”.
She has demanded stringent action against anyone found guilty.
Reacting to the rumours of Sonia pulling up Channi, Union Minister Smriti Irani questioned the intentions of the Congress chief and asked whether it was yet another ploy by the Gandhi leader to make someone a “pawn”.
“People celebrating the security breach of PM Narendra Modi for the last 24 hours have woken up perforce. This late political awakening was seeing the country’s anger on how Punjab Congress endangered the PM’s visit. At least Sonia Gandhi accepted that the Punjab Congress was guilty, but is the (Gandhi) family trying to get away with it by blaming the pawn, i.e., Punjab Congress?” Irani asked.
PM Modi was on Wednesday forced to return to Bathinda airport after his convoy was blocked by protestors. The Prime Minister was made to wait for 15-20 minutes on the flyover with the protestors barely meters away.
There was reportedly no additional security provided to the PM apart from his usual security cover.
PM Modi was en route to Ferozepur to address a rally and announce several development projects worth thousands of crores for poll-bound Punjab.