Central team set to visit state to probe incident

New Delhi: A high-level team comprising senior officials from the Central security and intelligence agencies, including the elite special protection group (SPG), will visit West Bengal soon for detailed investigations into possible security lapses at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Midnapore rally on Monday.

More than 90 persons were injured, some critically, when a tent collapsed over a packed enclosure during the Midnapore rally. As part of the security protocol and standard operating procedures (SOPs), the SPG and other related agencies conduct an investigation if an incident of any kind of security breach is reported during the PM’s event or movement.

The high-level team will asses any possible security breach, lack of coordination among various agencies and other loopholes during the PM’s rally.

Recently, the Centre had done a detailed review of the Prime Minister’s security following intelligence inputs that he was facing high threat of a possible attack from Naxal outfits. Following the review, certain changes were made in PM’s security deployment and he was advised to cut down on his roadshows as well.

In the wake of the recent security alert, sources added, the SPG and other security as well as intelligence agencies are taking the developments at the Midnapore rally very seriously. Once the security teams completes its detailed review, it will also suggest measures to ensure such incidents are not reported in future as PM, being the main star campaigner for the BJP, is likely to have a hectic campaign schedule during the coming Assembly elections for Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

The tent at the Midnapore rally had collapsed while PM Modi was in the middle of his speech. He later visited the injured persons at the local hospital where they were undergoing treatment. The Union home ministry has also sought a report on the incident from the state government with details of any possible security lapses.

K09