Channi regrets PM's security breach during virtual meeting on Covid
Darpan News Desk IANS, 13 Jan, 2022 12:29 PM
New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday expressed regret over the security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the state on January 5.
Channi expressed regret while participating in a virtual meeting chaired by Prime Minister Modi with Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors/Administrators of states and UTs to review the prevailing Covid situation as well as the ongoing vaccination drive.
Sources said that Channi also wished the Prime Minister a long life.
"Tum salamat raho qayamat tak, aur khuda kare qayamat na ho (May you stay safe till the end and may there be no end)," sources quoting Channi said.
On January 5, The Prime Minister's rally in Ferozepur had to be cancelled due to a security lapse after some protesters blocked a route and forced his convoy to spend about 20 minutes on a flyover. The Prime Minister was enroute the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala when the incident happened.
Channi had earlier said that there was no security breach during the Prime Minister's visit to the state.
"There was no security lapse of any kind and there was no situation of any attack," Channi had said.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday said it is not correct to say that the third Covid wave will affect children as in the two waves till now children were relatively less infected.
Most experts believe India’s official toll of 414,000 dead was a vast undercount, but the government has dismissed those concerns. A report released Tuesday estimates excess deaths to be 3 million to 4.7 million between January 2020 and this June.
Rejecting all opposition to his elevation, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the party's new Punjab unit President along with four Working Presidents.
Calling the reports of alleged snooping on prominent citizens using Israeli Pegasus spyware as "baseless", the ruling BJP on Monday said there is not a single shred of evidence so far that links either the central government or the party to this controversy.
Congress MPs from both Houses had met on Sunday afternoon at Rajya Sabha member Pratap Singh Bajwa's residence to discuss the issues related to Punjab and sought an appointment with Gandhi.
Apart from reviewing the security arrangements in the national capital, the Delhi Police have also strengthened the security in and around the Red Fort ahead of the Independence Day.
