Politics dictates VIP security cover under NDA too

NEW DELHI: A top BJP leader was on the hotline with Home Minister Rajnath Singh's office last Friday with a rather pressing query – the status of yoga guru Baba Ramdev's demand for Z-level countrywide security. A nod was soon communicated and Baba Ramdev was promptly informed the same day that he would now get a CRPF cover of 28 commandos and a convoy of two escort vehicles.
The Narendra Modi-led NDA may have assumed charge at the Centre with the promise of undoing many of the ills that plagued the previous UPA government, but in one respect it signals continuation rather than change – letting politics determine VIP security largesse. Since May, when the new government took charge, a dozen VIPs have been added or upgraded to the central list of protectees largely owing to decisions that seem dictated by politics.

As per the updated list accessed by ET, 110 VIPs are now protected by nearly 5,000 men of the four central forces – NSG, CRPF, CISF and ITBP. Of these, 41 have been provided the highest Z-plus security cover of 36 commandoes with three escort vehicles.

Former Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam was appointed as the Governor of Kerala in August and immediately granted a Z-category cover. The new government also gave a Y-level cover to Chirag Paswan, an MP and the son of Ram Vilas Paswan, whose Lok Janshakti Party joined the BJP-led NDA just before this year's Lok Sabha elections. VIP security considerations also transcend party boundaries.

So while BSP senior leader Satish Chandra Mishra got Z-plus cover from UPA and it continues till date, his businessman son Kapil Mishra has got an X-level cover from the new government. Babulal Marandi, the former Jharkhand chief minister and a key player in the upcoming assembly elections in the state is a significant addition as a Z-plus level protectee.

Questions have also been raised on the top security cover granted to BJP president Amit Shah and Muzaffarnagar riots accused Sangeet Som by the new government though they are said to be under a serious terror threat. What took the cake, however, was the decision to grant a Z-plus cover to media baron and BJP's first-time MP from Karnal, Ashwani Kumar.

The government has meanwhile cited credible terror threats to upgrade security cover of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to Z-plus in Noida and grant a Z-level cover to the minister of state for home, Kiren Rijiju, while he moves around in Delhi and the National Capital Region.

A former Union home secretary, who did not wish to be identified, conceded that politics does play a role in determining who gets VIP security although a high-level committee headed by the home secretary is supposed to officially recommend names after a detailed threat assessment.

"Sometimes, it's a case of leading by example. For instance, P Chidambaram as home minister declined security for himself and hence the list of protectees under him was not huge. His successor Sushil Kumar Shinde took an expansive Z-plus cover from Delhi Police and the VIP security list swelled under his tenure," the former home secretary said. Home Minister Rajnath Singh has a Z-plus security cover from three forces – NSG, Uttar Pradesh Police and Delhi Police.

"It may be difficult to decline political requests for security if you have a big cover yourself," the former top official added. Former Ministers Kamal Nath, Manish Tewari, Sri Prakash Jaiswal were granted Z-plus cover by the UPA while former minister Sachin Pilot and Congress MP Navin Jindal continue to have a Z-category security cover from CRPF across India.

"The protectee list is expected to be pruned sometime soon by the home minister as the workload on the central forces has become heavy. A few of the 15 NSG protectees are also to be shifted to some other central armed police force cover. But the final decision on this is yet to be taken as it is tricky," a senior home ministry official said. There has been speculation that NSG wants the names of UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal to be withdrawn from its list of protectees.

"The home minister himself has an NSG cover. So it is a political decision," the official said. A senior official in the central armed police forces said many of the UPA's decisions to grant top notch VIP security also smacked of politics though these protectees could well have been protected by the state police rather than increase the burden of the central forces.

"Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has a Z-plus cover from the CISF in Punjab and Delhi since 2010. CISF wants this to be reviewed but that hasn't happened so far. Former steel minister Beni Prasad Verma has Z-plus cover across India since 2012. All this needs review," the official pointed out. One of the high-profile protectees, who also did not wish to be identified, said many state leaders seek central security cover since usually the party in power in the state does not give security to its political opponents.

"Many BSP leaders in UP and Congress leaders in Punjab therefore asked the UPA for security cover. Amar Singh, the former Samajwadi Party leader, has Z-plus cover from CISF in entire Uttar Pradesh since 2008, when Mayawati was in power there,” the person said. Former home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde decided to grant Z-level central cover in similar scenarios to MP Ravneet Singh, the grandson of former Congress chief minister of Punjab Beant Singh, and Z-plus cover of the CISF to BSP’s MP Brajesh Pathak.

There have, however, been stray cases of a central force also saying no to the home ministry's orders for taking over security of a VIP. In 2012, the CISF said no to the home ministry's order to take over the security of the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. CISF suggested to the home ministry that the arrangement of Maharashtra Police protecting Bhagwat was more feasible rather than it moving in. There has been no change in the situation since then.

"CRPF, CISF and NSG do have manpower and logistic limitations. NSG has said it won't guard any more VIPs. CRPF also has no VIP security expertise," a senior home ministry official said.