Priyanka's security breach: Cong raises issue in Par; Amit Shah says probe ordered, three suspended

The security breach at Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's residence last week snowballed into a major controversy and reverberated in Parliament on Tuesday with an agitated opposition party describing it as a "matter of serious concern", even as Home Minister Amit Shah said a high-level probe has been ordered and three officers have been suspended.

Shah, replying to the debate over the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in Rajya Sabha also dubbed the breach as a "coincidence", saying such was the "coincidence that a Congress leader from Meerut arrived in an identical car used by Rahul Gandhi at the same time" the former Congress chief was expected to visit.

Expressing concern over the incident, Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra said allowing unidentified people driving up to the porch of their home is a "very big" security lapse and alleged that the removal of the Gandhi family's SPG cover was a "political" move.

On November 26, a car drove right up to the porch near the garden at Priyanka Gandhi's Lodhi Estate residence and three men, three women and a girl came out of it, according to sources.

They walked up to the Congress general secretary and asked for photos to be taken with her, sources said, adding she spoke with them nicely, they took pictures with her and left.

Later, the office of Priyanka Gandhi took up the issue of security breach with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

During the Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, Congress MP Anto Antony raised the issue of replacing the Special Protection Group cover of the family of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi with 'Z-plus' security provided by the Central Reserve Police Force.

"If it was foolproof how did seven people barge in," he asked.

He also urged the government to not play politics over security of the family that has lost two prime ministers in violent deaths.

Opposing the bill to amend the SPG Act in Rajya Sabha, Congress MP Vivek Tankha cited the security breach and said, "this has happened because you have reduced the security level."
To reporters' queries on the removal of the SPG cover, Priyanka Gandhi had earlier said, "It's part of politics and this keeps happening."