MHA reviews protected persons’ list, Vadra’s security set to be cut to size
The review panel of MHA that is designated for VIP security is planning to curtail protection of few politicians and individuals which also includes Robert Vadra, son-in-law of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former Rajya Sabha MP from Assam Matang Sinh.
Earlier, there were reports that the NDA government might withdraw security cover of Vadra but the MHA ‘after assessment’ is now planning to reduce the ‘cover category’ from ‘Z+’ to ‘Y’ that will include 11 armed guards to protect him instead of existing 36 commandos. Following the reassessment, it has been revealed that the ‘case of Vadra was over-estimated to provide him with Z+’ security cover and that ‘Y’ security cover will be sufficient to guard him.
Similarly, the Centre is also planning to bring down Sinh’s security category from ‘Z+’ to ‘X’ category which will include only two armed policemen to guard him. Sinh got the ‘Z+’ security cover after he had requested UPA government that there was a threat to his life from ULFA cadres. It was former home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde who has given Sinh and former Congress MP Navin Jindal this security cover.
However, it would be incorrect to say that assessment has been completely professional, as like during the UPA regime, people close to NDA regime are getting accommodated by the present government. When the files on ‘reviewing security cover’ in the MHA started to move a few days back, the Modi government ‘silently’ provided ‘Y’ category security cover to Aveek Sarkar, owner of Ananda Bazar Patrika (ABP) Group, reportedly citing threat from Left wing ultras.
Following the recent incident involving Robert Vadra and a television reporter, a discussion has started that while ordinary people were putting blood and sweat together to earn two square meals a day after paying taxes, a section of politicians and individuals continues to flaunt their VIP security cover, causing irreparable damage to the national exchequer.
Statistics revealed that every year the union government spends nearly Rs 240 crore of taxpayers’ money to provide security cover to more than 436 persons, including private individuals, in Delhi, excluding the cost incurred on protecting the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker and Chief Justice of India. Also, Rs 28 crore annually was spent on protecting private persons including 29 of those who face criminal charges. Speaking to the Millennium Post, journalist Manoranjana Sinh questioned the threat perception of Matang Sinh and Navin
Jindal. ‘What kind of threat perception do they have. It should be known to the people because it is happening at the cost of the national exchequer.’ She claimed Matang’s security cover was downgraded from ‘Z’ to ‘Y’
but against it was increased to ‘Z+’ when Sushil Kumar Shinde was the home minister. Others whose names were discussed for down grading or removing security are: Congress MLA from Punjab Rana Gurmeet Singh, journalist Aniruddha Bahal and
Congress leader from Amethi Mohammad Naeem.
While Rana and Bahal enjoy ‘Y’ category, Naeem was provided with ‘X’ category. Sources said while Naeem will lose his security cover, the rest might get ‘X’ category.
Earlier, the MHA had asked the Intelligence Bureau (IB) – soon after the NDA government came to power - to prepare a review report on the current status of security cover provided to politicians and private individuals during the UPA regime.
MHA grants security to various public personalities based on threat assessment conducted by IB. While protection of NSG (called Black Cat commandos) has been most coveted, of late CRPF and CISF have been providing security to VIPs. CISF has 45 protected persons under its VIP security arm. Depending on the threat perception to the person, the category is divided into four tiers: ‘Z+’ (36 personnel), ‘Z’ (22 personnel), ‘Y’ (11 personnel) and ‘X’ (2 personnel).