A year after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her bodyguard, the Special Protection Group (SPG) came to light in 1985.
New Delhi: In a recent update, Special Protection Group (SPG) that is given to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her children, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, might reportedly be withdrawn by the Centre.
It is reportedly said that the decision was taken after multiple security agencies provided Threat Perception Assessment and found there was no direct threat to the Gandhi family.
If the SPG cover (the highest tier of security) in the country is removed, the Gandhi family would be provided with Z plus security by one of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), preferably the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
However, senior officials from the SPG allegedly said that the Gandhi family would not be compromised with the Centre's decision.
With about 3,000 active personnel, SPG was formed in 1985 after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984. Meanwhile, the SPG force presently protects only four people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the three members of the Gandhi family, respectively.
However, the SPG cover given to the former Congress president Rahul Gandhi had come under examination after several "gaps" were found in his security detail.
It is also reported that on 143 of his 156 trips abroad in the last four years, Rahul Gandhi did not take the SPG personnel with him.
In October this year, the government issued new guidelines related to the SPG in a move that was seen as an attempt to track the Gandhi family.
It was under these directives that the rule became mandatory for the SPG personnel to accompany their charges at all times, including on personal foreign visits.
In August, the Centre also removed the SPG cover given to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and provided Z plus category.
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