New Delhi, Sep 16 - A day after stones were pelted at a train in which Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi was travelling, the Congress Wednesday said security of leaders under protection of the Special Protection Group (SPG) was important along with austerity measures.

'We are committed to the austerity measures, but in such incidents, the security issues should be kept in mind and security of SPG protectees is of paramount importance,' Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan told reporters.

Rahul Gandhi, son of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, travelled Tuesday to Ludhiana and back from New Delhi in a train as part of austerity measures adopted by his party's leaders and ministers in view of the drought conditions in the country.