File photo of Sushilkumar Shinde
The NDA government will completely review the security provided to more than 150 VIPs by the previous UPA regime following completion of the upcoming budget session of Parliament.
After the budget session, which ends on August 14, the threat perception to all these VIPs will be reviewed and it is likely that the list would be pruned with a major cut in security cover for those who had used their political clout to get the same, said a Home Ministry official.
Those who were given either Y, Z or Z-plus security during the tenure of Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde include former Union Ministers Sachin Pilot, Manish Tewari and Beni Prasad Verma, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra and former Congress MP Naveen Jindal.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief PS Bajwa, the party's Lok Sabha candidate from Allahabad, Nand Gopal Gupta 'Nandi', Congress Legislature Party chief in Uttar Pradesh, Pradeep Mathur, journalist Anirudh Bahal and former Union Minister Matang Sinh are few others who were given security during the UPA regime.
Two BJP leaders -- Shahnawaz Hussain and Rajiv Pratap Rudy -- and Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani were accorded 'Z' category security during Mr Shinde's tenure.
"No decision has been taken so far. But threat perceptions of all VIPs will be reviewed and security will be given accordingly," the official said.
A committee, headed by the Union Home Secretary, periodically reviews the threat perception of VIPs and, accordingly, recommends security for them.
A 'Z-plus' category protectee is entitled to security with a total of 25 commandos, a 'Z' category protectee gets a cover of 11 security personnel while a 'Y' category VIP gets security of two armed commandos.
A Home Ministry statement said that Home Minister Rajnath Singh was today apprised of the security arrangements for VVIPs/VIPs. Singh called for the security arrangements to be reviewed and suitably strengthened wherever required.
Asked whether there was any move to reduce the security for any VIP, the Home Minister said no such decision has been taken.