VIP security must be more sensitive, says Chidambaram

Hyderabad, Nov 6 : VIP security must be sensitive to the 'emergency needs' of the people, union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said here Friday while describing as unfortunate the death of a patient outside a Chandigarh hospital when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was visiting.

Chidambaram hoped that the Special Protection Group (SPG) and state police had learnt their lesson and that such incidents would not happen again.

"The SPG is under the control of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). I think the Prime Minister's Office said what needs to said that VIP security must be sensitive to concerns of people and emergency needs of people.

"What happened in Chandigarh is very unfortunate. The prime minister has expressed his distress and regret," Chidambaram said while answering questions from reporters after the passing out parade at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy here.

Sumit Prakash Verma, 32, died Tuesday after the vehicle carrying him to the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh could not enter the emergency area in time for treatment, his relatives alleged. The prime minister was at the time visiting the medical college and hospital for its 30th convocation.

The family of Verma, who was suffering from a major kidney ailment and had breathing trouble, alleged that their vehicle that had come from Ambala, 45 km from Chandigarh, was stopped at different gates of the institute by overzealous securitymen, leading to wastage of crucial time.

The victim's family, however, sought to absolve the prime minister of responsibility and blamed his elite SPG and other security agencies for the incident.

--IANS