Gandhi Family's SPG Security Withdrawn: Now Only Z Plus Security

Lal Ghoom Congress removes SPG shield as prosecution's personal retaliation: show outside Amit Shah's house

New delhi date. November 8, 2019, Friday

The Elite Special Protection Group (SPG) cover given to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her children Rahul and Priyanka has been withdrawn for the first time in 28 years.

They will be provided with CRPF Z Plus security, officials said on Friday. The Congress termed the matter a personal retaliation for PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, thanked SPG for removing security.

Authorities said that all VIP security covers are reviewed at regular intervals and VIPs are provided security cover based on recommendations made by various security agencies in the country.

On May 21, 1991, after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by LTTE terrorists, it was decided to give the SPG cover to the Gandhi family. Subsequently, the SPG shield given to the Gandhi family for 28 years will be withdrawn.

A senior Home Ministry official said that this decision has been taken after a detailed review on the security of the Gandhi family. After the decision, the SPG, which now has more than 3,000 troops, will focus only on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security.

Officials added that the ZP will continue to provide security cover to the Gandhi family. Regarding other reasons for withdrawal of SPG cover given to Gandhi family, an official said that there was no security risk on the Gandhi family either in the country or abroad.

Under the CRPF's Z-Plus security, the Gandhi family will be provided security cover of paramilitary forces at their home and wherever they travel in the country.

Besides, according to officials, the Gandhi family did not use bullet proof vehicles on their travels multiple times and did not carry SPG officers with them on most of their overseas trips. Officials said that Rahul Gandhi was moving in 1892 times in Delhi between 2015 and 2019 and in Delhi without bulletproof vehicles 247 times outside Delhi.

Besides, he has not kept SPG officers with him 143 times out of 156 foreign trips. SPG said that several times in the last five years Rahul Gandhi has included SPG in his speeches, which is objectionable.

Similarly, Sonia Gandhi has returned 50 times in Delhi and 13 times outside Delhi without bulletproof vehicles. Priyanka Gandhi also did not use SPG's bulletproof vehicle 339 times in Delhi between 2015 and 2019 and 64 times outside Delhi. From 1991 to 2019, he did not carry SPG protection 78 times out of 99 foreign trips.

Besides, from 2014 till now, he accused SPG officials of collecting personal information and giving it to an illegal person and threatened legal action against the top SPG officials. For this reason it has been decided to withdraw their SPG protection.

Congress leader Ahmed Patel said his SPG protection had been removed by compromising the security of the families of the two former prime ministers who fought against terrorism in the country. In August this year, the central government also withdrew SPG security for Manmohan Singh. Congress workers staged demonstrations outside the home of Home Minister Amit Shah to protest the Gandhi family's removal of SPG security.

What is SPG Protection and who gets it?

SPG is a special force providing protection to the country's Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers and their families. After the removal of the SPG armor of the Gandhi family, only PM Modi now holds SPG armor. Under the ASPG Act, these security guards are provided with guards as well as ambulances in high-tech vehicles, jammers and their car fleets. After the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, it was decided to amend the SPG Act to provide SPG protection to the former Prime Minister and his family for 10 years. However, in 2003, the Bajpayee government again reduced the automatic security time to 10 years to one year from the former prime minister.