On Tuesday, Congress gave an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over the withdrawal of the Special Protection Group (SPG) cover. The cover protected the Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi, son Rahul Gandhi, and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The party is not happy with this decision. Congress described the move as “Arbitrary” and said, “The security cover was withdrawn ignoring the existing and probable threats to the Gandhi family.”
The central government placed the SPG security cover when Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE), a Sri Lankan militant separatist group on May 21, 1991. Gandhi Family was given the SPG security to stop such accidents from happening again.
Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh said: “I strongly condemn the decision of taking back the SPG cover from the Nehru-Gandhi Family which has been earlier subjected to terrorist attacks and two of our leaders Mrs. Indira Gandhi and Rajeev Gandhi lost their lives. You would recollect earlier the Government has also withdrawn the security of Rajiv Gandhi and what happened later was a lesson. This is a lesson they should learn and immediately take back their decision. After all, this party has given this country three Prime Minister, they deserve full security.”
Even Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister of Rajasthan condemned this decision.
Decision to withdraw SPG protection to Gandhi family is condemnable. Govt is compromising the lives of a family,which has lost two members to acts of terror. It's vendetta politics n of a very low level. They wr accorded SPG cover based on threat assessment n it must continue.
1/— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) November 8, 2019
The security cover given to leaders is to save their lives & this shd not be politicized.
If the decision has been taken by only HM, then the PM must intervene. He must ensure SPG security is not withdrawn. But if the decision has PM’s consent, then it is country’s misfortune.
2/— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) November 8, 2019
Former Union minister and Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav said: “This is a wrong decision as two prime ministers from that family, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi were martyred under security cover. I strongly condemn this decision of the Union government.”
About SPG:
Special Protection Group has over 3000 personnel and they protect the Prime Minister of India, Former Prime Ministers of India and their Families.
On 8th November, the SPG Cover was removed from the Gandhi Family. The central government gave them ‘Z-Plus’ security.