The Madras High Court on Thursday issued notices to the Tamil Nadu and central governments on a plea seeking judicial inquiry into the alleged security lapses during Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Chennai’s Rajaji Hall, reported PTI. The Congress president had visited the hall to pay his tribute to late Dravida Munntera Kazhagam leader M Karunanidhi on August 8.
The division bench of Justices S Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad posted the matter for further hearing on September 14.
According to petitioner AP Suryaprakasam, there was some confusion in the security apparatus during Gandhi’s visit. “Rahul Gandhi was literally isolated and made to wade through a huge crowd of emotionally-charged people in the overcrowded staircase of Rajaji Hall,” he said, according to PTI. Gandhi enjoys the highest security cover provided under the Z+ category.
The petitioner submitted a video to the court that purportedly showed the security officers exposing their weapons. Suryaprakasam also alleged that the administration had neither provided any surveillance cameras nor metal detector to screen people at Rajaji Hall.
Two people had died and 33 people were injured in stampede-like incidents outside the hall after the police resorted to lathi-charge. The petitioner has sought an ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh each to the families of those who died.
In a report to the Ministry of Home Affairs detailing the events leading to the alleged breach in security, the Intelligence Bureau has blamed the Tamil Nadu Police, reported The Times of India. The bureau said the state police department did not adhere to the advanced security liaison for VVIPs.
“The lapse is being taken seriously by higher-ups in the in the intelligence wing,” an unidentified official told The Times of India. “The details of the incident have also been conveyed to authorities in Delhi over phone by a senior Intelligence Bureau officer in Tamil Nadu. A warning will be issued to avoid such lapses in future.”
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