Congress on conman posing as PMO official: Govt. must answer who will resign for lapse

Congress leader Pawan Khera raised questions about the Central Government’s intelligence mechanism, saying a person has been cheating the security forces for five months in a sensitive area like Jammu and Kashmir

The Congress on March 18 expressed concern over the case of a conman posing as a PMO official and getting requisite perks, saying if the government is serious about the country's security then it must make it clear who will resign for the lapse.

Kiran Bhai Patel from Gujarat has been arrested by police from a five-star hotel in Srinagar for posing as an 'additional secretary' in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and enjoying security cover besides other hospitality.

He had three cases registered against him in his home State, police said on Friday.

At a press conference, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said it was a very serious matter pertaining to the country's security and the government probably was not focussed on such matters as it was "busy protecting the Prime Minister's best friend".

"If anyone asks questions to the Modi government, he is anti-national. Which national interest are you serving? If you are at least a little serious about the security of the nation, then tell me that at the political level who will resign in this matter?" Mr. Khera said.

"Our three essential questions are — can a PMO officer get Z+ security, should Z+ security be given and is Z+ security availed so easily. It is very important to know from which level the instructions to give security to a thug came?" he said.

In a sensitive area like Jammu and Kashmir, a person has been cheating the security forces for five months and is roaming in those areas with Z+ security by making a PMO card, where common citizens cannot go, he said and raised questions over the government's intelligence mechanism.