BJP, Congress spar over Modi security
7 Nov 2013 12:54 AM GMT
The request was forwarded to the government after the party’s central parliamentary board, in its meeting on Wednesday, reviewed the massive breach of security at the Patna rally of its prime ministerial candidate. The board on Wednesday passed a resolution demanding a Special Protection Group (SPG) level security for Narendra Modi. ‘Modi’s security is the responsibility of the Central government. Give him PM level security,’ the party demanded. At present, the Gujarat CM has been accorded Z-plus security with round-the-clock protection by elite National Security Guard commandos.
After the meeting, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar attacked the Centre for not taking Modi’s security seriously. He also slammed the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar, charging it with ignoring the security at Gandhi Maidan on 27 October, leading to the serial blasts.
‘We cannot do politics on terror. The country has lost two prime ministers due to terrorism and we should learn lessons from this. We hope the Centre will take note of the threat to Narendra Modi and not do politics on the issue of security. We demand that Modi be provided adequate security,’ said Javadekar.
The BJP alleged that there was ‘gross negligence’ on the part of the Centre and the Bihar government as even standard operating procedures for security such as frisking, sanitisation of the area and use of metal detectors were not done at the Patna rally. The party alleged that this was done by both the Congress and JD(U) due to political rivalry.
Rejecting their demand, the government on Wednesday said the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate’s security has already been tightened but ruled out SPG protection for him. ‘We have already given adequate security to Narendra Modi. Whatever security is required, we have given to Modi,’ said minister of state for home RPN Singh.
‘We have given him (Modi) NSG security which is very high level of security. We have also ordered conducting advance security drill before his visit to any place,’ added Singh. The minister said security to a person is given according to his or her threat perception and the cover for Modi has been provided according to the threat perception.
He ruled out extension of SPG security to Modi, saying that SPG protection is given only to the PM, former PMs and their immediate family members.
After the meeting, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar attacked the Centre for not taking Modi’s security seriously. He also slammed the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar, charging it with ignoring the security at Gandhi Maidan on 27 October, leading to the serial blasts.
‘We cannot do politics on terror. The country has lost two prime ministers due to terrorism and we should learn lessons from this. We hope the Centre will take note of the threat to Narendra Modi and not do politics on the issue of security. We demand that Modi be provided adequate security,’ said Javadekar.
The BJP alleged that there was ‘gross negligence’ on the part of the Centre and the Bihar government as even standard operating procedures for security such as frisking, sanitisation of the area and use of metal detectors were not done at the Patna rally. The party alleged that this was done by both the Congress and JD(U) due to political rivalry.
Rejecting their demand, the government on Wednesday said the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate’s security has already been tightened but ruled out SPG protection for him. ‘We have already given adequate security to Narendra Modi. Whatever security is required, we have given to Modi,’ said minister of state for home RPN Singh.
‘We have given him (Modi) NSG security which is very high level of security. We have also ordered conducting advance security drill before his visit to any place,’ added Singh. The minister said security to a person is given according to his or her threat perception and the cover for Modi has been provided according to the threat perception.
He ruled out extension of SPG security to Modi, saying that SPG protection is given only to the PM, former PMs and their immediate family members.
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