Lucknow:
The government is now reviewing security for our top politicians. The Home Minister says it's because NSG guards needs to protect the country, not individuals.
The fat ring of security cover around the politicians could soon be trimmed as could the almost royal cavalcades.
If Home Minister P Chidambaram has his way, Z+ security given to 32 politicians and Z security given to 60 other netas will be reviewed, and about 2,500 personnel will be pulled out.
Over the years security cover has become a status symbol.
Some of the stories are like the theatre of the absurd. Mayawati is surrounded by 60 Black Cat Commandos, but she wanted a Special Protection Group (SPG) cover. When the Centre said no she got 300 state policemen, armed and dressed as SPG lookalikes to guard her.
To set an example the Home Minister himself has taken no security cover.
"Please don't give me security if there is no threat to my life. Chidambaram has not taken security because Chidambaram faces no threat from anyone other than Jayalalithaa and she is not in position to cause him damage," Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh said.
We might want to blame individual politicians, but it's the UPA government that has made security arrangements a gift item. UPA upgraded Mayawati's security when she supported the government in 2004. It added 30 men to Amar Singh's security for supporting the UPA's nuclear deal. Now as their security is being cut back they are crying foul, saying it's being done because they have fallen out of favour.