After reviewing the security, the Union Home Ministry has withdrawn the NSG cover and allotted CRPF cover to former Assam Chief Ministers Tarun Gogoi and Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. The Union Home Ministry, in orders issued few days back, has asked the CRPF to take over the security duties of both the politicians from the National Security Guard (NSG).
The NSG had tasked about 50 commandos for this task for the two. The government, officials said, has scaled down the categorisation of the new cover accorded to Gogoi and Mahanta by keeping it as ‘Z+ mobile’, which means the security personnel will not be protecting the residential premises of the two ex-chief ministers but securing them only when they travel.
With this reduction of duties , the NSG has an all-time low number of VVIPs under its cover at 13. Gogoi, after his cover was withdrawn in December last year, had written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh alleging the decision was taken based on “political reasons” which is “discriminatory.”
The 1984-raised NSG has not been taking anymore VVIP security duties since 2014 and those under its cover currently include Home Minister Rajnath Singh, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, former UP CM Mayawati annd senior BJP leader lK Advani among others.
