Rajnath Singh had promised that NSG would not be given new protectees
The NSG was raised as an anti-terror and anti-hijacking commando force but later was given VIP protection duties as well. (Photo: PTI/File)
New Delhi: In a major move to rightsize VIP security responsibilities given to the National Security Guard (NSG), the Union home ministry plans to withdraw the force’s elite Black Cat commandos from the security cover of Samajwadi party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, his son Akhilesh Yadav and two more former CMs, Jammu and Kashmir’s Farooq Abdullah and Bihar’s Lalu Yadav. Their security detail may be replaced by personnel from another paramilitary force. “All these NSG protectees may get another paramilitary force to guard them,” said a home ministry source.
According to sources, during his first interaction with top NSG officials, Union home minister Rajnath Singh promised that the force would not be given new protectees when the brass raised the issue.
NSG director-general J.N. Choudhury had given an indication to this effect on the raising day of the force. “We are working towards a system where we will have only 10 or 11 VVIPs to secure. We have 15 at present, which is an all-time low number for us. The ministry has agreed to this in principle but you have to understand that these are vulnerable people and other competent forces will have to take over these duties,” Mr Choudhury had said.
The NSG was raised as an anti-terror and anti-hijacking commando force but later was given VIP protection duties as well. After the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, it was decided that the NSG would re-focus on the duties for which it was created and some of its VIP protection duties were transferred to the CISF and ITBP. But after P. Chidambaram moved from the home ministry to finance in 2012, the NSG started getting more protectees again.
At the moment the NSG guards politicians like former Tamil Nadu CMs J. Jayalalithaa and M. Karunanidhi, former UP CM Mayawati among others.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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