Ex-PMs, families likely to lose SPG security cover
As per the new amendments proposed by the Government, SPG security cover will not be provided to family members of former PMs.
New Delhi: Amendments to the SPG Act, which have been cleared by the Union Cabinet, clarifying that former Prime Ministers and their families will not be protected by the unit, are likely to be introduced in Parliament sometime next week.
The Centre has withdrawn the SPG cover of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, her children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and his wife.
Minister of state for parliamentary affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal informed the Lok Sabha on Friday that the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill was included in the government’s list of business for next week to be introduced in the Lok Sabha.
According to the provisions of the existing SPG Act, the security unit provides cover to Prime Minister, former PMs and their immediate family members.
As per the new amendments proposed by the Government, SPG security cover will not be provided to family members of former PMs. The proposed amendments to the SPG Act were cleared by the Union Cabinet at its meeting on Wednesday.
The SPG Act was last amended following the assassination of former PM Rajiv Gandhi to include security cover for former PMs and their families. It is for the first time in almost three decades that the Gandhi family is now without the SPG cover.
The move has already triggered a huge political controversy with the Congress even opposing it in Parliament. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had on Thursday described it as “ part of politics that keeps happening.’’ However, the Gandhi family along with Dr Singh and his wife will continue to get the Z-plus security cover to be provided by the CRPF. This now leaves only PM Narendra Modi with SPG security cover. The SPG security convoy includes an ambulance, high frequency jammers and other hi-tech equipments and vehicles.