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National

Home Ministry wants debate on VIP security

Vinay Kumar

Faced with dipping resources, it wants to review and streamline such cover

In U.S., U.K., only constitutional heads are provided security at government expense
Over 45,000 policemen guard over 13,000 VIPs across India

NEW DELHI: With demands for providing protection to VIPs increasing with each passing day, there is serious rethink among top echelons of the Union Home Ministry to streamline and review the entire gamut of VIP security.

Faced with dipping resources and increased expenditure on police personnel, bullet-proof vehicles and elite commandos involved in protecting VIPs, the Ministry is trying to tread on a minefield that can make the whole lot of VIPs, including politicians and others, fume and fret. It is toying with the idea “Why not ask the VIPs to pay for the security?”

Taking a cue from countries like the U.S. and the U.K. where only constitutional heads such as the President, the Vice-President, the Prime Minister and the Supreme Court Chief Justice, are provided security at the government expense, the Ministry is trying to cull out more information on the practices being followed in other countries on VIP security and hopes to begin a debate on it.

As bulk of the VIP protectees are politicians, the big question remains: Who will bell the cat? To begin with Home Minister P. Chidambaram is leading by example by shunning all security paraphernalia. “I am internally secure, so I do not need elaborate security,” he has commented on several occasions in the recent past.

Similarly, the former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, even today waits for his turn in a queue at airports for a security check and undergoes all procedures with utmost humility without making fuss, sources say.

Mr. Chidambaram has recently been approached by the former Jharkhand leader, Arjun Munda, to increase his security cover to Z plus even in Delhi.

Similarly, BJP MP from Pilibhit, Varun Gandhi, is also learnt to have requested the Minister to provide him the maximum security cover of Z plus, sources in the Ministry revealed. Though the Ministry is still processing their requests and assessing the threat perception to them, officials appear amused over such pleas which are made mainly to enhance the “status symbol.”

Gone are the days when the former Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, would throw open the doors of his Teen Murti House residence for Holi celebrations and common citizens could mingle with their beloved leader. Old timers still recall the crowds that thronged Connaught Place to welcome the visiting U.S. President Eisenhower. As times change and shadow of terror threat looms large, these sights will never come back.

The former National Security Guard (NSG) chief, J.K. Dutt, who had led NSG operations in Mumbai during the 26/11 terror attacks, has favoured entrusting all VIP protection duties to a new or unified agency that should develop special expertise for the job. He says that the new agency could be created on a par with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) which guards airports, public sector units and installations. It is up to the Centre to think if the time has come to review VIP security, he says.

There has been criticism about increased spending of taxpayers’ money on VIP security, mainly on deployment of black cat NSG commandos for protecting politicians. The international spotlight came on NSG commandos as their operations in Mumbai were beamed live into drawing rooms by television news channels and they emerged as the “real heroes” after storming sites attacked by terrorists and rescuing hostages. The public has come to dislike the sight of black cat commandos guarding politicians, who the people feel, have done precious little in the past to strengthen India’s defences against such attacks.

In the national Capital alone, there are about 390 guarded VIPs and about 15,000 Delhi police personnel, out of its strength of 60,000, are deployed on VIP security duties. The protectees include ministers, politicians, bureaucrats, judges, religious leaders, and a handful of journalists.

SPG cover

For the protection of the Prime Minister and former prime ministers, the Special Protection Group (SPG) is responsible. Officials say over 45,000 policemen guard over 13,000 VIPs across the country. If one puts salaries of all these police personnel, expenditure on vehicles and their bullet proofing, it all adds up to a substantial amount of taxpayers’ money. Estimates indicate that nearly Rs. 600 crore is spent annually on all areas of VIP security, including salaries of personnel on VIP duty.

After Mr. Chidambaram took over as the Home Minister, security cover given to about 50 VIPs has reportedly been reviewed and downgraded. As it is a constant process, intelligence agencies keep on making fresh assessments of threats to all VIPs and sources indicated that the review of another 150 VIPs was already on.

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