New Delhi: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government has withdrawn the Special Protection Group (SPG) security cover to the Gandhi family, a decision strongly condemned by the Congress.
The security of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been downgraded from SPG to Z+, media reports stated.
The Home Ministry took the decision after several security agencies reportedly carried out a threat perception assessment and found there was no direct threat to them.
The Congress strongly condemned by the decision claiming that the move is a hidden RSS agenda.
Accusing the government of ignoring ‘known threat’ to the Gandhis, the Congress said that the party will not let anything happen to them.
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel came down heavily on the BJP and accused the ruling party of descending “to the ultimate personal vendetta mechanism”.
After the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led BJP government had passed a bill to provide the highest security cover to all members of the Gandhi family – including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi as well as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The Modi Government had removed SPG protection for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in August this year.