Should politicians be charged from their salary for the security cover they demand?

Thu

Jul

Should politicians be charged from their salary for the security cover they demand?

Vimala

Lalu, Mulayam, Maya may lose NSG cover

NEW DELHI: The elite National Security Guard (NSG) may no longer provide cover to some VIPs including UP chief minister Mayawati, former railway
minister Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi with the home ministry proposing to depute other paramilitary personnel to guard them.

Though their security status will not be downgraded, a proposal has been made to remove NSG commandos from their proximate security on the lines of some other Z+ category protectees. Home minister P Chidambaram will take the final decision in the matter.

Currently, 20 out of the 32 VIPs in Z+ category are provided security by NSG commandos while the remaining 12 are covered by state police and paramilitary personnel drawn from CRPF, ITBP and CISF.

Other Z+ category protectees, including BJP leader L K Advani, Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, J&K CM Omar Abdullah, former J&K CMs Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad and anti-terrorist forum leader M S Bitta will, however, continue to get NSG cover.

Sources in the home ministry said the recommendation to withdraw NSG cover from some VIPs was made at a high-level security review meeting chaired by home secretary G K Pillai. A final decision will be taken by home minister P Chidambaram, they added.

Security of nearly 400 VIPs was reviewed during the meeting. These VIPs, who come under X, Y, Z and Z+ categories, are guarded either by NSG or some other paramilitary force and state police, depending upon where they go.

The meeting decided that security of former ministers Shivraj Patil, Ram Vilas Paswan and Jagmohan be downgraded while it should be withdrawn in the case of former foreign minister Natwar Singh.

Young BJP MP Varun Gandhi, whose security has become controversial, will continue to get Y category cover with additional house guards and escort vehicle.

Chidambaram, who has refused to take any security for himself, is believed to be of the opinion that security should be provided only to those who either face credible threat or those holding constitutional posts.

During the meeting, it was suggested that the security of several politicians and retired bureaucrats should be scaled down. Names of former Delhi Police commissioner K K Paul, retired bureaucrats V K Duggal and Ashok Chaturvedi, former CBI director Vijay Shankar and former NSG chief J K Dutt were included in the list of those whose security would be downgraded soon, sources said.