Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the event in Varanasi's Assi Ghat. (Press Trust of India)
The Home Ministry has taken serious note of a security lapse at Varanasi's Assi Ghat, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in a Ganga clean-up drive on Saturday morning as part of his 'Clean India' campaign, according to sources.
Several security cameras at the venue were not functioning, the sources said, adding that some monitors in the control room failed as well. This impacted the security surveillance in a zone where the Prime Minister was at a public event; with a vast tract of the river and banks on the other side unsanitised.
The Home Ministry has now asked the Director of the Intelligence Bureau to probe the lapses and fix responsibility for them, the sources added.
The event had started at 8.40 am on Saturday, when the 64-year-old Prime Minister reached the river 'ghat' or bank. He offered prayers and then took up the spade to begin the Ganga clean-up drive, as part of his Swachh Bharat or 'Clean India' campaign.
This was the PM's first trip to Varanasi since it voted overwhelmingly for him in his first run for Parliament.