Home Ministry downgrades security of seven VIPs, including UP leaders Amar Singh and Kalyan Singh

Centre 'blowing cover' of Congress detractors?

Home Ministry downgrades security of seven VIPs, including UP leaders Amar Singh and Kalyan Singh

Several VIPs are set to lose their sheen as the Home Ministry has downgraded the security of at least seven - one of them being Member of Parliament Amar Singh. Interestingly, all the VIPs, who are set to lose a part of their posse of security personnel, are ostensibly not on good terms with the Congress.

An initiative of significance is the fact that the Centre has pulled the plug on NSG-protection for many VIPs. Sources in the Home Ministry said that they have withdrawn the elite security force from the cover of four VIPs - former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Kalyan Singh, chairman of All India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF) MS Bitta, former chief minister of Assam PK Mahanta and chief minister of Punjab Parkash Singh Badal.

Besides, Indo-Tibetan Border Police cover has been withdrawn from two VIPs - Buta Singh, chairman of National Commission for Schedule Caste (NCSC) and Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, former chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir. Buta Singh was also protected by NSG earlier but in February this cover was withdrawn by the home ministry.u00a0
The NSG devotes about 3,000 commandos for VIP security. "Since 26/ 11, the NSG has been requesting that it be relieved of VIP security duty," a source said.

"There are certain leaders, such as LK Advani, Narendra Modi and Farooq Abdullah, for whom NSG cover is a must, given visible threats to their lives. But for some others Black Cat protection is just a status symbol. The NSG should be allowed to concentrate solely on counter-terror," a source in the ministry said."After scrutinising the threat perception of these VIPs, we decided to withdraw about 60 NSG commandos, who were being used to protect the above mentioned four VIPs, which can now be used for anti-terrorism activities," he added.

In February this year, security of more than 100 VIPs was "downgraded" or "no" police protection. And in that process, the Union Home Ministry had relieved nearly 2,000 policemen from security duty.

While Kalyan Singh and Parkash Singh Badal are both from opposition parties, Buta Singh, who is a Congress leader, is also believed to be having bitter relations with the party after the arrest of his son, Sarabjot Singh by the CBI for allegedly demanding Rs 1 crore to withdraw charges against a businessman.u00a0

MS Bitta too has openly expressed his views against political parties in India, including Congress and BJP, for not taking stringent measures in their fight against terrorism.

Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and daughter Mehbooba Mufti, have not been on good terms with the Congress since the party shook hands with the National Conference. As Uttar Pradesh politics went through a transformation in the recent past, so did the ministry's response as far as Amar Singh's security is concerned. The Delhi police downgraded his cover from Z+ category to Z.

In fact, Amar Singh's security was decreased in February also. However, soon after that he sought an explanation from the MHA and his security was again upgraded. Amar Singh has always been at the forefront in demanding security from the government and has cried foul every time the number of personnel was reduced.

Pay to be Protected

The Centre had come up with a proposal, which is yet to see the light of day, for raising an exclusive force for providing security to VIPs and for charging those protected except the ones assessed as targets of terrorists or organised mafia.
The proposal was mooted to reduce dependence on a multiplicity of paramilitary forces and agencies which are currently involved in VIP security and, instead, have a single specialised force possibly under the Central Industrial Security Force, which is at present also giving protection to important people.

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