New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) Launching a scathing attack on the Congress over the breach in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security, the BJP on Wednesday alleged the ruling party in Punjab "tried to physically harm him".

Modi's Punjab visit was cut short on Wednesday after a "major security lapse" as he was stranded on a flyover for 20 minutes due to a blockade by protesters, prompting the Union Home Ministry to seek an immediate report from the state government and strict action against those responsible.

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Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in Delhi, Union Minister Smriti Irani blistered the Congress saying, "Planted political instruments were given political patronage by the Congress government in Punjab to breach the security of the Prime Minister of India."

"Never before in the history of our country has a state government knowingly constructed a scenario where the prime minister of the country will be brought to harm."

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Hitting out at the Punjab government, she alleged police functionaries in a state were "directed to breach the security of the Prime Minister of India and bring him physical harm".

"As a worker of the BJP, I am sure the nation shares our outrage at this incident. We know that Congress hates Modi but today they tried to harm the Prime Minister of India," Irani alleged.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)