Congress leader Anand Sharma on Wednesday demanded in the Rajya Sabha restoration of the elite SPG security cover to the party president Sonia Gandhi and her family as also former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by “rising above partisan politics.”
Senior BJP leaders, however, maintained the decision to withdraw the SPG cover of Gandhi family and Singh was taken by the Home Ministry based on changed threat perception.
Earlier this month, the Centre replaced the Special Protection Group (SPG) security cover given to Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra by according them ‘Z-plus’ security category of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Singh’s SPG cover was withdrawn in August.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in the House, veteran Congress MP Sharma said there was a clear evaluation of threat perceptions to the four leaders and withdrawal of SPG cover makes them vulnerable.
“It is the responsibility of the state to protect its leaders,” he asserted, while pointing out that the Congress-led UPA Government had not disturbed SPG protection of former Prime Ministers, including that of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and also of other protectees.
The security cover was neither diluted nor withdrawn during the 10-years of UPA rule, Sharma further said. Underscoring that after withdrawal of the SPG cover to Gandhis and Singh, there are concerns which are well founded, Sharma said, “We would urge the Government that these issues of personal safety, security and lives of our leaders have to be beyond partisan political considerations.”
“Please rise above that. Review and restore (SPG security cover). That would be in national interest, otherwise intention will be questioned today, tomorrow and in the future,” he told the House.
Defending the Government’s decision to downgrade the security cover, senior BJP MP Subramanian Swamy said the decision has been taken by the Home Ministry, and moreover the threat perception to the Gandhis has disappeared with the end of the LTTE in Sri Lanka.”Threat perceptions have always been the judgement of the Home Ministry. It has been always been a special committee in the Home Ministry which decides.
If there is any question about it, one can go to court and challenge it,” Swamy said.Swamy further said the threat originally arose out of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).”That issue has disappeared because of two reasons,” Swamy said.”First there is no LTTE” and second the “attitude” of protectees who have been asking for reduction of punishment of those involved in the assassination and even Sonia Gandhi had written to the President of India in this regard.Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he too was not in favour of reduction in punishment.Meanwhile, Congress youth-wing members on Wednesday burnt the effigy of Home Minister Amit Shah to protest the withdrawal of SPG security cover of the Gandhi family.