CRPF’s special division to be deployed
In a major re-working of the security apparatus, Union Home Ministry has decided to relieve National Security Guard (NSG), the specialised force of black commandos, of the burden of VIP security duties. The elite task force was raised in late 1984 and was used in the security ring of many VIP for the past two decades. At present around 450 commandos are used for the protection of 13 VIPs having Z+ category security.
According to highly placed officials, CRPF’s special division handling VIP security will take over the security cover of the VIPs protected by NSG Commandos.
For the past six months, after Amit Shah became the Home Minister, there have been several major decisions regarding security cover to VIPs and other persons. First was the removal of security cover of persons who were enjoying protection for decades and then the controversial decision of withdrawal of SPG cover of Sonia Gandhi and family members.
At present, NSG Commandos are handling the security cover to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, former Chief Ministers Mayawati, Mulayam Singh, Chandrababu Naidu, Parkash Singh Badal and Farooq Abdullah, BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani. CRPF’s VIP Security division will now protect these persons.
Official said the Union Home Ministry wanted the NSG should concentrate on its original charter of handling specific tasks of counter-terrorist and anti-hijack operations. For decades, the NSG Security Cover was seen as a prestige for many leaders and controversies were raised when the leaders did not allow the guards to go back to mandatory training to the force’s head quarters.
The CRPF is currently handling the security of five ex-SPG protectees — former PM Manmohan Singh and his wife, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her children Priyanka and Rahul. The Central Industrial Security Force protects VIPs like NSA Ajit Doval and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat among others.