A man carrying a firearm was caught near Rahul Gandhi at Amethi in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday the third such incident this year raising questions on his security arrangements. Special Protection Group (SPG) men caught a youth carrying a revolver as he approached Rahul Gandhi near Ram Leela ground in his constituency,Amethi. The weapon was not loaded but the man carried cartridges in his pocket. Similar incidents had taken place in Noida on May 12 and in Aligarh on July 17. District SP Vijay Singh Meena told The Indian Express that Rahul Gandhi stopped his vehicle seeing a crowd of locals waiting for him at a crossing. When he was shaking hands with the people and talking to them,a youth carrying an application moved close to him. The SPG men spotted a revolver stuck in his waist,overpowered him and handed him over to the police. Meena said the youth,who identified himself as Pradeep Soni,was a jeweller who runs a shop at the nearby market. The weapon he carried was licensed. He had bought it after his father and brother were murdered four months ago,police said. Soni wanted to hand over an application to Rahul Gandhi,requesting for action in the murder case. He told the police that he had met Rahul Gandhi during his visits in the past,the SP said. I have recommended for cancellation of his firearm licence as he carried the weapon close to an SPG-protected person, Meena said. Uttar Pradesh ADG (Security) Rajni Kant Mishra said he had asked for a report and refused to comment further. Earlier on May 12,a man carrying a semi-automatic pistol was caught near Rahul Gandhi soon after he was arrested in Kasna area of Noida. Rahul had gone there to protest against the police firing on farmers at Bhatta-Parsaul. Noida SP (City) Anant Deo had said the man was later found to be the private guard of a Congress MP from Haryana and he carried a licensed weapon. He was let off after his identity and the antecedents were verified. Similarly in Aligarh,one Hari Mohan Sharma was caught with a licensed pistol at Jikarpur village in Tappal police station area on July 7. Sharma was caught by the SPG men when Rahul Gandhi was meeting a group of farmers in the village during his foot march. The youth was close to the Congress MP when he was spotted carrying the firarm. Aligarh SSP Satyendra Vir Singh had said the police arrested Sharma,but he got bail later after his antecedents were verified. Rahul Gandhis security has been a contentious issue between the UP Home Department and Special Protection Group. While the UP government has often complained of lack of coordination from SPG personnel,the SPG headquarters have been speaking of proper security liasioning.
