The Congress party on Friday advised Uttar Pradesh government to strengthen its intelligence network, which proved to be a failure during the recent surprise visit of the party general secretary Rahul Gandhi to rural areas in the eastern part of the state.
Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tewari said, "It is a glaring example of the working of the state police and its intelligence network that a high-profile Special Protection Group protectee moves about in districts and it has no information about his movement."
"If this is the case with an SPG protectee, then one can only pray for the state," Tewari said, adding that law and order and the working of the police network cannot be improved merely by changing the Director General of Police.
"As SPG looks after his security, it was informed about the visit two to three days in advance," Tewari said on the complaint lodged by the UP government that it was kept in dark over Rahul's visit.
Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Rita Bahuguna Joshi said Rahul's surprise visit was a warning not only to the state administration, but also to the Congress leaders.
"Even the local MPs were not informed, as he wanted to reach out to the common people and take stock of the reality of the welfare and development schemes, as well as the role of the administration and the Congressmen," Joshi said.
"Rahul Gandhi's efforts to establish a direct dialogue with the common people is also being emulated by other leaders who have also started moving out," Joshi said.
