Modi’s safety scare? AP Police denies lapse as black balloons launched close to PM chopper

By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: In what’s termed as a safety breach by the State BJP unit, a bunch of Congress leaders launched black balloons into the air as a protest towards the go to of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the State with out fulfilling the assurances he made earlier than the elections. Police, nevertheless, mentioned there was no safety breach and arrested 4 Congress leaders for the protest.

The AP Congress Committee (APCC) gave a name to launch black balloons into the air as a mark of protest towards the failure of the Centre to satisfy the assurances made to the State throughout Modi’s go to to the State.

After ending his two-day go to to Hyderabad, Narendra Modi arrived at Gannavaram airport within the morning the place Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, and different officers welcomed him grandly.

From there, the dignitaries have been supposed to achieve Amiram village close to Bhimavaram in Mi-17 choppers to participate within the one hundred and twenty fifth start anniversary celebrations of revolutionary freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju.

#WATCH | A Congress employee launched black balloons moments after PM Modi’s chopper took off, throughout his go to to Andhra Pradesh.

(Source: unverified) pic.twitter.com/ZYRlAyUcZK

— ANI (@ANI) July 4, 2022

Minutes earlier than Modi’s arrival, Congress staff Sunkara Padmashree and two others have been seen strolling towards the airport holding placards and black balloons to stage a protest towards BJP and Modi. 

“Immediately, we took three Congress leaders Sunkara Padmashree, Challa Savithri, and Kishore into our custody and booked them under sections 353, 341, 188, and 145 of IPC,” Krishna district SP P Jashuva informed TNIE.

However, another leaders managed to launch black balloons from the terrace of a constructing whereas the choppers carrying Modi and others took off.

Responding to this, BJP State president Somu Veerraju suspected a ‘larger conspiracy’ behind the discharge of balloons when three dignitaries together with the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and Governor have been taking off and demanded an in depth probe into the incident. Veerraju mentioned he would lodge a grievance with the Union Home Ministry.

Meanwhile, Gannavaram police arrested 4 Congress leaders for releasing black balloons whereas a hunt is on to nab one other individual Rajiv Ratan who was mentioned to be the mastermind behind the concept of releasing balloons.

Though there was no injury the incident triggered panic because the balloons allegedly reached near the chopper through which Narendra Modi and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy have been travelling. “This will be viewed as a breach of security of the Prime Minister. The Special Protection Group (SPG), Intelligence, and other agencies are probing how the Congress workers managed to enter the premises where the security cover was in place,” mentioned a senior official.

Clarifying that there is no such thing as a breach of safety throughout PM Modi’s go to to Gannavaram airport, Krishna district Superintendent of Police Jashuva defined that two Congress leaders Rajeev Ratan and Ravi Prakash climbed an under-construction residence which is 4.6 kilometers away from the airport and launched balloons 5 minutes after the departure of Prime Minister.

“Five minutes after Narendra Modi’s chopper took off from Gannavaram airport, at a spot named Soorampalli, 4.5 kilometers away from the airport, Rajeev Ratan and Ravi Prakash climbed an under-construction residence and launched the balloons. 

By the time they launched the balloons, the chopper attained most top and there are not any possibilities of balloons going near the chopper and turning out a hazard for VIPs,” he noticed.

While Ravi Prakash has been taken into custody, police groups shaped to hint the absconding Rajeev Ratan. “The police are on the lookout for him,” he mentioned including that 350 personnel have been positioned for Narendra Modi’s safety and anti-domination groups have been deployed three kilometres across the airport to keep away from any untoward incident.