Protectees came under the umbrella of the paramilitary force during Punjab, UP assembly polls (File)
The central security cover given to 27 out of 41 VIPs during the recently-concluded assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab has been withdrawn, a senior CRPF officer said on Thursday.
The security cover was provided and subsequently withdrawn by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), CRPF chief Kuldiep Singh told reporters.
He said these protectees had come under the umbrella of the paramilitary force during the assembly polls in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
Similar cover was extended and withdrawn during the assembly polls held in West Bengal during 2021, the CRPF director general said, adding that the cover is provided on the basis of threat perception to the person.
"Out of 41 protectees entrusted to us recently, the cover of 27 people has been withdrawn," he said.
Officials said the MHA order had asked the force to provide the cover to politicians and candidates during the poll process in the two northern states and the withdrawal began from March 12.
More withdrawals can happen in the coming days and it will depend on the threat perception report prepared by central agencies, another officer said.
At present, the VIP security wing of the force has a total of 117 protectees under its cover and it provides armed security under various categories of Z+, Z, Y+, Y and Z.
Some of its prominent protectees are Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the first family of the Congress party -- Sonia Gandhi, her MP son Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.