The Special Protection Group (SPG) on Monday held a high-level meeting with the Tamil Nadu police on VIP security and threat perceptions ahead of the Lok Sabha election. Senior officials of the National Security Guards (NSG) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) were part of the two-day discussions that commenced here on Monday, police sources said.
Security coverThe SPG provides security cover to the Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers and their immediate family members. Commissioners/Superintendents of Police from several districts took part in the meeting where the preparedness of the force, coordination mechanism and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in the event of any exigency were reviewed.
Besides the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumbudur near here, Tamil Nadu has also been witness to two attempts on the life of senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani in Coimbatore and Madurai.
With several VIPs expected to tour the State as part of the election campaign, the meeting analysed the level of threat to various leaders, the sources said.
VIP visits“The visit of VVIPs is the crucial part of election security as the leaders would travel extensively and like to meet people at random. In case of SPG protectees, the security would be in strict accordance with certain guidelines.
However, the security agencies have to be in high level of preparedness in the event of an emergency,” a police official said.
The meeting would evaluate sensitive places where the concentration of police and intelligence machinery would be intensified.
Asked if there would be restriction on VIPs from visiting any part of the State, the official said no such decision was taken. A similar meeting would be held in Madurai this week to brief police officers in southern districts on the security related issues.
