Centre, BJP should not target Gandhi family over security cover: Maharashtra Congress chief

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole. File Pic

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Thursday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Union government led by it should stop targeting members of the Gandhi family when it comes to their security.

His statement comes a day after the Congress wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging security breaches during Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra in the national capital and demanded immediate steps to ensure the security of Gandhi and others taking part in the march.

However, government officials on Thursday alleged that on several occasions, violations of laid down guidelines on the part of Rahul Gandhi have been observed and this fact has been communicated to him from time to time.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi himself violated security protocols: Govt

Talking to reporters in the premises of the Vidhan Bhavan in Nagpur amid the ongoing winter session of the Maharashtra legislature, Patole said, "On behalf of the Congress, party general secretary K C Venugopal wrote a letter to the Centre with a request to step up Rahul Gandhi's security cover in view of a threat to his life, but the government today replied that he does not follow security protocols and meets people."

"We want to ask the Centre and BJP if Prime Minister Narendra Modi follows security protocol. During the (recently-held) Gujarat elections and public meetings held elsewhere in the country, he meets people. So will they reduce the PM's security cover in view of this?" the Congress leader asked.

Accusing the BJP of targeting the Gandhi family since it came in power, he said, "We request them not to target the Gandhi family when it comes to their security."

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.