Is it a Veiled Attempt to Intimidate? Congress Responds to Rahul's Security Protocol Breach Allegations

New Delhi, Sep 11 (NationPress) The Congress party expressed strong discontent on Thursday following the complaint from the Central Reserve Police Force regarding party leader Rahul Gandhi's supposed breach of security protocols, questioning whether this is an attempt to intimidate the Leader of Opposition ahead of his upcoming revelations about electoral malpractices.

Pawan Khera, the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Department AICC, shared on the social media platform X, stating, "The timing of the CRPF's letter and its immediate public dissemination raises unsettling questions."

He was responding to the CRPF's correspondence addressed to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, which accused Gandhi of violating security protocols.

Khera emphasized that the letter from the CRPF surfaced "just as Shri @RahulGandhi is spearheading the charge against the BJP’s Vote Chori, allegedly facilitated by the Election Commission."

"Is this a covert attempt to intimidate the Leader of Opposition, who has already signaled another imminent revelation? Is the government feeling threatened by the truth he is about to unveil?" he questioned.

Earlier in the day, the CRPF's letter highlighted concerns regarding the breach of security protocols by the Leader of the Opposition.

The letter dated September 10, authored by CRPF VVIP Security chief Sunil June, accused Gandhi of neglecting security protocols and frequently violating them.

June asserted that the Raebareli MP, despite being a prominent political figure with a VVIP status, was not taking his security responsibilities seriously.

This situation follows an alleged security breach during Gandhi's recent visit to Raebareli, his Lok Sabha constituency.

During this visit on Wednesday, the Congress MP encountered protests from BJP workers, who obstructed the highway and shouted slogans like "Rahul Gandhi, go back."

While the police attempted to disperse the protesters, Gandhi's convoy was halted on the highway for approximately 15 minutes. Tensions escalated between the police and the protesters until the authorities managed to clear the way for the Congress MP's convoy.

The CRPF chief also expressed concern regarding Gandhi’s frequent foreign trips, which were not communicated to his security team in advance.

"In the past nine months, Rahul has violated security protocols during six foreign trips. All these trips were made without notifying the security agency, leading to significant challenges for them," the letter reportedly stated.

It is important to note that Gandhi falls under the VVIP category and is entitled to Z+ protection. According to the security protocols, VVIP individuals like him, who are equipped with Z plus ASL security, are required to inform their security agency 15 days prior to any foreign trip. However, the Congress leader has consistently failed to keep the security team informed and updated.

The Congress MP's recent trip to Malaysia was ridiculed by the BJP as a "leisure trip amidst VP polls", while images from that visit depicted him walking without any security.