For nearly 20 minutes, on a foggy and grey day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remained stuck on this flyover, an half an hour drive from his destination, an election meeting at Ferozepur in Western Punjab.
Within close proximity of him were a group of protestors; in photos shared later by the Centre, the PM can be seen masked inside his car, his security surrounding the Toyota Fortuner.
The Centre has accused the Congress government of Punjab of ignoring the most basic security requirements for the PM, including the back-up needed when he travels by road. The PM's party hurtled a series of graver accusations; Union Minister Smriti Irani said: "The Congress' murder conspiracy failed"; Home Minister Amit Shah said the Congress is "on the path to insanity" and repeated the allegation of a deliberate plot to harm the PM, describing the security breach as a "Congress-made happening."
Chief Minister Charanjit Channi expressed his "regrets" but also said that there was no security lapse. "I would lay down my life to protect the PM," he said to reporters, "but he was in no danger."
The protestors were demanding from the government to fulfil their pending demands, including bringing a law to guarantee the minimum support price for crops.
The farm laws were cancelled by the PM in November last year after a farmers' movement against the new rules stretched over a year; unflagging farmers refused to abandon protest camps in states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which votes soon.
The Home Ministry said the Punjab government and police had been given sufficient notice of the PM's travel plans and said that the lapses covered every category: "logistics, security as well as keep a contingency plan ready".
The PM's plan to attend the election rally was abandoned and he returned to the Bhatinda airport to fly back to Delhi.
The condemnation of Chief Minister Channi - he was unreachable during the crisis, said BJP chief JP Nadda, included a senior Congress leader from Punjab, Sunil Jakhar. "What has happened today is just not acceptable a secure passage for the Prime Minister of India to address BJP's political rally in Ferozepur should have been ensured."
The Chief Minister and others from the Congress, however, retaliated that the Prime Minister had an ulterior motive for truncating his journey. "70,000 chairs were arranged but only 700 (persons) reached; what can I do?" Mr Channi asked.
