BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday unequivocally condemned the security breach during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Punjab, terming it “unacceptable in our democracy”.
“The Prime Minister of India is an institution. It is the duty of every government to provide foolproof security and safeguard the dignity of this institution. Anything contrary should be unacceptable in our democracy,” Naveen said.
The Prime Minister was struck for 15 to 20 minutes at a flyover, some 16 km short of Ferozepur, as a group of farmers had blocked the road on which he was travelling. He was scheduled to lay the foundation stone for several projects and address a rally there.
The Chief Minister’s statesmanship and respect for Constitutional positions have been manifested on various occasions. He has maintained decorum even when dealing with Opposition parties and leaders. His conduct during the Prime Minister’s visit and review of the impact of cyclone Yaas in May, 2021 in Odisha and neighboring West Bengal was lauded by Modi.
The Prime Minister had praised the Chief Minister over the “perfect coordination” and “perfect communication” between the State and Central governments.
Modi was apparently snubbed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who arrived 30 minutes late for the review meeting, handed over papers related to the impact of the cyclone and left for other meetings.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan appreciated Chief Minister’s concern for Prime Minister’s security.
“This is how a democracy like India should function. We all can have differing ideologies, beliefs and opinions but that can be no ground to legitimise a breach of security for the Prime Minister,” he said.