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Regular-article-logo Sunday, 05 May 2024

Congress raises alarm over Rahul security threat, mentions sniper

Home ministry says green light could be from phone camera

The Telegraph New Delhi Published 11.04.19, 11:28 AM
Rahul Gandhi at the release of the Congress manifesto at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Rahul Gandhi at the release of the Congress manifesto at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday. Telegraph photo

Rahul Gandhi's security may be under threat, the party has said in a letter addressed to the Union home ministry and cited an April 10 chat the Congress president had with journalists during which a small green light was repeatedly pointed at his forehead and temple.

In its letter, the Congress said that the perusal of the video by various persons, including former security personnel, indicated that the green light 'could emanate from a potential weapon, like a sniper gun', the letter signed by senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Surjewala said.

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According to an All India Radio news service release, however, the green light was from a cellphone camera.

The Congress leaders called it a 'grave and unacceptable security threat' and reminded the ministry that Rahul is an SPG protectee as he is a 'high risk target'.

A video of the chat with journalists, which Rahul had after filing his nomination papers in Amethi on April 10, is doing the rounds on social media. In the video, a tiny circle of light repeatedly appears on Rahul's forehead and right temple. The Congress says this happened at least seven times in a short duration.

The news services division of All India Radio, the state's national radio broadcaster, today put out a report on its website that said the home ministry had not received any letter on Rahul's security breach from the Congress.

The report said that the ministry, however, asked the director (SPG) to verify 'the factual position'. A home ministry spokesperson said the Ddirector (SPG) has informed that they have gone through the video clipping very closely and the green light shown in the clipping was found to be that of a mobile phone used by the AICC photographer, who was videographing the impromptu press interaction of Mr Gandhi near the collectorate at Amethi, the report said.

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