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.
Referring to alleged reports of snooping of prominent citizens using Israeli Pegasus spyware, senior BJP leader and union minister Meenakshi Lekhi on Thursday said that these kinds of stories are concocted, fabricated and have no evidence.
On Wednesday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal gave permission to the Jantar Mantar demonstration on the condition that a maximum of 200 protesters will be allowed till August 9 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Sidhu sent an invite, signed by some 62 legislators, through working presidents, Kuljit Singh Nagra and Sangat Singh Gilzian, to the 'sulking' Chief Minister to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
In a statement here, Badal said it was condemnable that the NDA government had targeted Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar and the Bharat Samachar group because they had posed tough questions to the government in keeping with high standards of journalism.
In a written reply to parliamentarian Binoy Viswam in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State (External Affairs) V.A. Muraleedharan said during the unprecedented crisis, the international community came forward with offers of solidarity and assistance for specific medicines and equipment that were not immediately available in the country.