Centre followed protocol: BJP says no politics in removal of SPG cover to Gandhis

BJP working president JP Nadda on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that there was no political angle in the withdrawal of the Special Protection Group (SPG) cover to the Gandhis.

Speaking in Rajya Sabha amid Congress protests in Parliament against the government's move, Nadda said the decision on the security cover was taken by the Home Ministry and not by politicians.

"There is nothing political, security hasn't been withdrawn. The Home Ministry has a very set pattern and there is a protocol. It is not done by a politician. It is done by the ministry and according to threat perception, the security is given and withdrawn," JP Nadda told the Parliament.

Earlier, 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," he said.

He 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 towards those who have given death penalty for the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi by the Supreme Court, he said.

Meanwhile, sources have said there will no statement from the Home Ministry on the SPG issue. Sources said the matter is based on threat perception.

The Congress on Wednesday demanded in Rajya Sabha restoration of the SPG cover to the Gandhi family and former prime minister Manmohan Singh by "rising above partisan politics".

The central government earlier this month replaced the Special Protection Group (SPG) security cover given to Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi, daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and former prime minister Singh by the 'Z-plus' security of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in the House, 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 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," Sharma said.