Amid the row over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security breach, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday questioned that if the same thing happens with Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi, will it be acceptable to them?
Addressing the media here, Sarma said Congress high command should have sacked Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi after this security lapse.
"They will not get anything by making the life of PM vulnerable. Congress is going to suffer politically. But beyond politics in India, we should not have allowed this kind of partisan politics. We have a vibrant democracy and the congress high command should have sacked Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi after this security lapse," he said.
He further said that the political parties should not set bad examples.
"By not taking action, they want to institutionalize this case. If tomorrow Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi came to Assam and I did the same drama, will it be acceptable and the Congress will not criticize me? So now if as a BJP CM I take an opposition that I will enact the same drama and will keep them in the streets for hours, then the same people will start criticizing me. I think we should not set a bad example in our politics irrespective of party politics," he further said.
"Today I am surprised that knowing the vulnerability of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, they should be one the first to criticize or sack the Punjab Chief Minister and they have not done that," he added.
"Most of the time even when Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi come to various states then they will be dependent for their own security. I don't know why they are playing such a dangerous game. I am not giving them a warning. If they come to Assam we will ensure full security. I won't do tit for tat," Sarma said.
The Chief Minister further said that Congress should sack Channi and they should distance themselves from what happened in Punjab.
"So by not distancing themselves, they are trying to institutionalize this kind of activity. If those kinds of things are institutionalized, their politics will be finished, democracy will be finished in the country," Sarma added.
On Wednesday, the PM's convoy was stuck for 15-20 minutes due to a road blockade in Punjab. The Prime Minister, who was travelling by road, had to call off his event in Ferozepur.
PM Modi, who had to return to Bathinda airport on Wednesday due to a security breach during his visit is learnt to have told state government officials at the airport, "Apne CM ko thanks kehna, ki mein Bhatinda airport tak zinda laut paaya".
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor