Centre asks UP to explain on Rahul''s ''security breach''

New Delhi, Jan 14 (PTI) The Centre has taken up with theUttar Pradesh government the issue of "security breach" duringCongress leader Rahul Gandhi''s recent visit to Allahabad andasked it to explain the reasons behind such incidentsoccurring very often in the state.

The Central government has written to the Uttar Pradeshgovernment, asking it to send a report on the incident whichtook place on Monday when activists of Samajwadi Party''s youthwing tried to stop Rahul''s car and clamber on to the vehicleraising black flags.

Sources said prima facie it looks like the local policepersonnel, who were deployed along Rahul''s travel route,"failed" to control the protesters who tried to stop the SPGprotectee''s car.

The Centre asked the state government to explain whysimilar incidents often take place whenever an SPG protecteetravels to Uttar Pradesh and if there is any issue of lack ofcoordination between the SPG and local police, they said.

The SPG has duly informed the local police about thetravel plan of the Congress leader, sources said.

The incident took place when Gandhi was on his way toAnand Bhavan, the ancestral house of the Nehru-Gandhis, forovernight stay after an interaction at engineering instituteMNNIT.

As Rahul''s motorcade approached Anand Bhavan, a group ofSP youth wing activists, waving black flags and shoutingslogans against the leader, jumped in front of his vehicle.

Some of the protesters came dangerously close to Rahul''scar before they were repulsed by the SPG personnel guardingthe Congress general secretary.

Deputy Inspector General of Police, Allahabad, Ram Kumar,however, termed the reports of security breach as "absolutelyuntrue".

"These reports are absolutely untrue. We have receivedno complaints in this regard from the SPG team which has beencamping in the city for the past couple of days. We have beenworking in close coordination with it," he had said.

Security arrangements for Gandhi, who visits UttarPradesh frequently, has often been a cause for spat betweenthe Centre and the state government which had accused theformer of not sharing enough inputs with the local policeduring the leader''s tours.