Man tries to hug Rahul Gandhi at Bharat Jodo Yatra; ‘not security breach,’ says Congress
In what appeared to be a breach in the security ring of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Punjab, a man rushed towards the Congress leader and tried to hug him soon after the rally began from Tanda in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur on Tuesday (January 17) morning.
The man was, however, stopped by Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and other people who were walking with the Congress leader.
Also read: Bharat Jodo Yatra in J&K: Rahul advised to take car on some stretches, says report
A video of the incident showed a man wearing a jacket rushing towards the Congress MP and trying to embrace him. But Warring and other party workers accompanying Gandhi stopped him and pushed him away.
#WATCH | Punjab: A man tried to hug Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, during Bharat Jodo Yatra in Hoshiarpur, was later pulled away by workers.
(Source: Congress social media) pic.twitter.com/aybyojZ1ps
— ANI (@ANI) January 17, 2023
Warring, later clarified that it was not a security breach and Rahul had invited the man to meet him and the latter was just an “overenthusiastic supporter”.
Inspector General of Police G S Dhillon also confirmed the same, saying Rahul had himself called the man and there was no security breach.
Also read: CRPF denies Congress charge, says Rahul Gandhi violated security guidelines
“I have verified it. Rahul ji himself called him (the man) and then he tried to hug him (the Congress MP). After that (Amrinder Singh) Raja warring pushed him away as the yatra moves with a certain speed and it affects its movement,” Dhillon said.
Past security breaches
Similar incidents of security breaches at Rahul’s walkathon were reported from Bassi village and earlier in Delhi.
In December last year, the Congress had written to Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging of security breaches in the rally while it was traversing through Delhi while demanding to ensure that Rahul and other prominent leaders participating in the yatra be provided proper security cover.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had responded by stating that Rahul, who has access to Z-plus, breaks protocol often and had violated security guideline sat least 113 times since 2020.
Also read: Modi accepts garland from boy after security breach at Hubbali roadshow
AICC general secretary KC Venugopal had also raised security concerns ahead of the yatra’s entry into Punjab.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed from Tanda on Tuesday morning as part of its Punjab leg, amid biting cold conditions. The Yatra will halt for the night at Mukerian.
The march, which started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7, will conclude in Srinagar by January 30, with Rahul hoisting the national flag in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
It has so far covered Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
On Saturday, the march was suspended for 24 hours in view of Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary’s death. The MP had suffered a cardiac arrest during the yatra. The march had resumed on Sunday afternoon in Jalandhar.
The Punjab leg of the march began on Wednesday from Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib.
(With inputs from agencies)
