A security breach during Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra was reported on Tuesday when a man tried to hug Rahul Gandhi who was later pulled away by workers. The Yatra resumed from Tanda Tuesday morning as part of its Punjab leg, amid biting cold conditions. The march will halt for the night at Mukerian.
However, police said it was not a breach of security. In a video of the incident, the man wearing a jacket could be seen rushing towards the Congress MP and trying to embrace him. However, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and other party workers accompanying Gandhi stopped him and pushed him away.
"We do not let anyone enter the security box around him. We also search everyone with hand-held metal detectors. There is nothing so far that I have verified & can be said a security breach," IGP GS Dhillon, Law & Order Wing, Hoshiarpur, "The way he hugged Rahul Gandhi was not excepted. Till the time I do not investigate the video, I cannot tell if it was a security breach but from the video, it appears so," he added.
Talking in the same lines, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Punjab Congress chief said, "There was no security breach, people just want to meet Rahul Gandhi & he welcomes them, the man came near him after the security check and was very excited to meet Rahul Gandhi so suddenly hugged him."
'Security breaches during the Yatra'
The Congress had last month written to Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging "security breaches" during the Yatra in the national capital and demanded immediate steps to ensure the security of Gandhi and others taking part in the yatra.
Dismissing the allegations, the government had said "full" security arrangements were made for Gandhi in accordance with laid-down guidelines but he himself "violated" security protocols 113 times since 2020.
Security breach in Delhi
Thousands of supporters walked behind former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on December 24 as he led the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Badarpur border to Ashram. However, as the leader marched towards the Red Fort, many people in an attempt to click a selfie with Rahul Gandhi, came too close leading to chaos and stampede-like situation.
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