"It was a stunt," Rakesh Tikait alleged (File)
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposed event at Ferozepur in Punjab had to be cancelled owing to a security lapse, national spokesperson of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Rakesh Tikait said that it was an attempt by the Centre to find a "cheap way to gain public sympathy".
"When the Prime Minister was coming to Punjab, what arrangements did he make about his security? The news about him saying that he survived makes it clear that it was a stunt. It was an attempt to find a cheap way to gain public sympathy," Mr Tikait said.
The farmer leader further said that the Prime Minister should not have opted to go to Punjab.
"Central government says that there was a security lapse and the Punjab government says that Prime Minister did not go there because chairs in his rally were empty. Both are only trying to defend themselves. The Prime Minister should not have gone there," Mr Tikait said.
About Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cancelled event at Ferozepur, Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday had said one needs to investigate whether there was a security lapse or the farmers were expressing their anger.
"There is talk about the rally being cancelled due to lapse in the security of PM Modi ji. On the other hand, the Chief Minister of Punjab is claiming the PM returned witnessing empty chairs. Now it is necessary to investigate whether there is a lapse in the security or the farmers were expressing their anger," he tweeted in Hindi.
The Home Ministry has sought a detailed report from Punjab, urging the state government to fix responsibility for the lapse and take strict action.
PM Modi was scheduled to visit Ferozepur on Wednesday to lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 42,750 crore. He landed at Bathinda in the morning to go to the National Martyr's Memorial at Hussainiwala by helicopter. The Prime Minister waited for the weather to clear out before deciding to travel by road, the Home Ministry said in a statement.
The Prime Minister began his travel by road after necessary confirmation of necessary security arrangements by the Punjab top cop, it said.
Around 30 km from the National Martyrs Memorial in Hussainiwala, when the Prime Minister's convoy reached a flyover, it was found that the road was blocked by some protestors.
The Prime Minister was stuck on a flyover for 15-20 minutes.
What was witnessed on the flyover was "a surprising scene of connivance between Punjab police and so-called protestors", government sources said.
Only the Punjab police knew the precise route of the PM and "never has such police behaviour been witnessed", they added.