According to Home Ministry’s latest announcement, former Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh will now be protected under Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) cover. His cover of Special Protection Group (SPG) security has been taken away.
The decision by Modi government is said to be taken after a detailed three-month review. The review was done involving Cabinet Secretariat and the Ministry of Home Affairs with the collective inputs from intelligence agencies such as Research and Analysis Wing and the Intelligence Bureau. The assessment was done as a part of the annual exercise to review the SPG cover.
SPG COVER-
- The rules of procedure for the security measures are governed by the SPG Act, 1988.
- It provides security to the Prime minister of India, former Prime ministers, and their families.
- It comprises of 3000 personnel deputed from elite forces of our country such as ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Force), CISF (Central Industry Security Force) and CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force).
- It was constituted after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, on the recommendations of the Birbal Nath Committee.
- At the time of origin of the Act, it did not include former Prime Ministers under its fold. But after the murder of Rajiv Gandhi, VP Singh government was heavily criticized and therefore the clause of former Prime ministers came into the Act.
- The control of the SPG is exercised by the Central Government. The head of the force is called as Director. He is designated as Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat and is responsible for commanding and supervising the force.
Speaking on the matter, a retired SPG officer told media that the SPG cover was only reduced on the basis of threat levels as laid in the SPG Act of 1988. He said that without analyzing the threat perception, no government would take the risk of scaling down security because of heavy political considerations.
Now, after the removal of SPG cover from Manmohan Singh, Only Narendra Modi and Gandhi family are covered under it.
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