Centre may use SPG Act against Punjab cops

New Delhi: The Centre is considering action under the Special Protection Group (SPG) Act against Punjab Police officers following the alleged breach in security of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Punjab on Wednesday.

With farmer protesters blocking the road, the PM's cavalcade was stranded on a flyover 30 km from the National Martyrs Memorial in Hussainiwala, Punjab, on Wednesday. Calling it "a major lapse in the security of the PM", the MHA had sought a report from the Punjab government and asked it "to fix responsibility for this lapse and take strict action".

Even as the Punjab government has constituted a high-level committee to probe the incident, sources said the Centre is preparing to take action against erring officials under provisions of the SPG Act. This, they said, could entail summoning the officers responsible to Delhi or instituting a central-level inquiry against them.

"What happened on Wednesday in Punjab is a violation of the SPG Act as the State government failed to follow all protocols set by the SPG for the PM's movement. Things are being worked out. Action will be taken," a source in the government said.

Section 14 of the SPG Act makes the State government responsible for providing all assistance to the SPG during the PM's movement.

The provision, titled 'Assistance to Group', states: "It shall be the duty of every Ministry and Department of the Central government or the State government or the Union Territory administration, every Indian Mission, every local or other authority or every civil or military authority to act in aid of the Director or any member of the Group whenever called upon to do so in furtherance of the duties and responsibilities assigned to such Director or member."

In December 2020, when a convoy of BJP president J P Nadda was attacked allegedly by Trinamool workers during a political rally in West Bengal, the Centre had called three IPS officers, who were in charge of Nadda's security, on Central deputation to Delhi. The MHA had then directed IG (South Bengal Range) Rajiv Mishra, DIG (Presidency Range) Praveen Tripathi and SP (North 24 Parganas) Bholanath Pandey to report to Delhi for a deputation with the Government of India. The three officers, however, were not released by the State government and did not join Central deputation as demanded by the MHA.

The MHA had then also sought a report from the Chief Secretary and the DGP of the State and even summoned them to Delhi for a meeting. The State, however, did not send a report and the two officers excused themselves from the meeting on the ground that the State government was already probing the matter. The developments had precipitated a war of words between the Trinamool and the BJP, with the former calling MHA 'vindictive'.