The Centre on Wednesday accorded the highest category of armed VIP security cover -- Z plus -- to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) chief Sharad Pawar, official sources said.
The Union Home Ministry has asked the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to extend the cover to the 83-year-old former chief minister of Maharashtra. A team of 55 armed CRPF personnel has been earmarked for the task.
A threat assessment review by central agencies has recommended a strong security cover to Mr Pawar. The Centre has accorded him a Z plus cover to be protected by the CRPF VIP security wing, the sources said.
A CRPF team is already in Maharashtra to take up the task, they said.
The VIP security cover categorisations begin from the highest Z followed by Z, Y, Y and X.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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