Farm union leader hails protest which led to PM Modi security scare in Punjab

With the controversy over an alleged lapse in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security snowballing, a farm union leader made a big statement a day after the incident.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Krantikari) leader Surjit Singh Phool congratulated fellow workers for blocking the PM's path and forcing him to cut his Punjab trip short. PM Modi's convoy was stuck on a flyover for around 15-20 minutes between Punjab's Bathinda and Ferozepur on January 5 as protestors occupied the street. The Union Home Ministry called it a major security lapse, while the Bharatiya Janata Party accused the Indian National Congress - which rules Punjab - of trying to harm the Prime Minister.

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Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had rejected the charges, claiming that PM Modi changed his programme of travelling by air at the last minute, and that he was not under threat at any point in time.

After hailing BKU(K) workers, Phool uploaded another video in which he seemed to have softened his stance. He claimed that the protestors were unaware that PM Modi would be taking that route. They were forced to occupy the street after police denied them permission to protest at the district headquarters, he said. He went on to say that when the police told the demonstrators that the PM was going to be travelling through their protest site, they felt that it was a lie meant to make them vacate the spot.

Meanwhile, the issue has reached the Supreme Court with a public interest litigation (PIL) being filed against the Punjab government's 'serious and deliberate lapse'.