PM Modi's brother sits on dharna demanding escort vehicle

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brother Prahlad Damodardas Modi on Tuesday sat on a dharna at a police station after he accused police of denying him adequate security.

PM Modi's brother, who arrived in Jaipur from Udaipur on Tuesday evening, claimed he was not given a separate vehicle for policemen escorting him.

In protest, Prahlad Modi sat in front of Bagru police station on the Jaipur-Ajmer National Highway. Bagru is 30 km from Jaipur.

"Wherever I go, the state government provides me with an escort vehicle, but it seems that the Jaipur Police Commissioner has issues with Prime Minister Modi or me. He refused to provide an escort vehicle," Prahlad Modi told media persons.

The Prime Minister's brother claimed that police commissioner deputed only two policemen, but asked them to travel in his car. "I had no space in the car in which my family was also travelling," he said.

"All I asked them was arrangement for travel of the two personal security officers (PSOs) accompanying me," Modi said.

Jaipur Police Commissioner Anand Srivastava said two PSOs were waiting for him at Bagru police station. Under the rules, they are supposed to sit in the protectee's vehicle.

"We showed him the order about providing him two PSOs. The PSOs accompany the protectee in his vehicle but Prahlad Modi was not ready to take them along in his vehicle. He was demanding a separate police vehicle for escorts," he said.

The commissioner said Prahlad Modi was later convinced and two PSOs were provided according to the rules. "He is now leaving with the two PSOs," Srivastava told PTI on Tuesday night.