Srinivas BV insisted his tweet was not a joke about the security flaw
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security breach in Punjab sparked a huge political storm today, with the BJP accusing the state congress government of engineering the situation that stood in its way from harm.
Congress responded with some derisive comments, including the controversial “How’s the Josh” tweet, which received a sharp response from Union minister and senior BJP leader Smriti Irani.
“Modi ji, how’s the Josh?” Srinivas BV, National President of the Youth Congress, had posted, citing a popular dialogue from the blockbuster “Uri: The Surgical Strike”.
“What infuriates people like us the most is this: When the security of the Prime Minister of India was breached, Congress leaders burst out with joy and asked him how he was doing,” Ms Irani told reporters today.
“The prime minister then magnanimous – media reports – appeared to have communicated on his way back that ‘Zinda laut raha hoo,’ Ms Irani said.
“I want to tell the congress organization that Modi became the Prime Minister of India with the support of the people of India and that he went to Punjab today to dedicate projects worth 42,000 crore to the people of Punjab. If you can not answer on issues of development, this is the depth you would fall into,” Ms Irani said.
However, Mr Srinivas insisted that his tweet, minutes before the news hit the national media, was not a joke about the security flaw. “When I tweeted at 2:37 p.m., all the news outlets were reporting vacant seats at the Prime Minister’s meeting… I was tweeting about this… and not the alleged security flaw,” he told DailyExpertNews.
Dear Indian Media,
Today at 2:37 pm I tweeted when the news channels were inundated with news about Empty Seats,
Ask yourself, when did you first broadcast the news of Security Lapse on TV? pic.twitter.com/wTrvX9gxdf
— Srinivas BV (@srinivasiyc) January 5, 2022
Congress claimed that the prime minister chose to skip the meeting in Ferozepur he was attending because it was poorly attended.
On his way to the rally venue, Prime Minister Modi was stuck on an overpass in Punjab’s Bathinda for about 20 minutes as protesting farmers blocked a road ahead of them. Footage from the scene showed his convoy stranded, with Special Protection Group personnel forming a ring around the vehicle carrying him.
The prime minister was forced to return without attending a mega-meeting in Ferozepur, which was scheduled for state elections in weeks.
According to ANI, Prime Minister Modi told officials at Bhatinda airport: “Apne CM ko thanks kehna, ki mein Bhatinda airport tak zinda laut paaya (Thank you Chief Minister for letting me come alive at Bathinda airport).”
Ms. Irani invaded Congress and said, “Those in Congress who hate Modi tried to threaten the Prime Minister’s safety today. Was the security breach intentionally called false? Those who compromised the Prime Minister’s safety, who planted them there? Who has them so close to the prime minister’s car?”
“Never before in our country’s history has a state government knowingly constructed a scenario in which the country’s prime minister is harmed,” she added.
BJP chief JP Nadda accused the state police of collaborating with the protesters to “cause the crisis”. ‘ Nadda had tweeted.
Congress, however, rejected the allegations.
“Why don’t the PMO, the BJP ministers or the Prime Minister say this? Was the Prime Minister’s convoy attacked? Was there a Naxalite or terrorist there,” senior party leader Randeep Surjewala wondered.
