SPG Bill’s intent to protect PM: Amit Shah

New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday began a debate on the controversial Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill and said the law's original intent as it was enacted in 1988 was only to protect the Prime Minister.

“Special meant that it was only for the PM, but over a period of time, the original SPG protocol has changed. Through this bill, we are trying to bring it in its original shape,” Mr Shah told Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Clarifying that the security cover of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has not been withdrawn or downgraded but merely changed, the home minister gave an elaborate account of how many times members of the Gandhi family did not use SPG cover in the past, and on many occasions travelled without informing security agencies.

“Vindictive approach is not my party’s culture but your party’s culture that packs off people to jails. There is no political vendetta but purely professional threat assessment,” he said. He then went on to recount the number of occasions members of the Gandhi family travelled in and out of India without SPG cover.

“It has been more than 600 times three protectees have travelled without SPG or without informing them… Sonia Gandhi has travelled more than 50 times since 2015 without informing Delhi government or security agencies. She has on 13 occasions not used the SPG’s bullet-proof cars. 2015 onwards she has not taken SPG on 24 occasions while travelling abroad… Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has travelled without informing SPG 339 times since 2015… Since 1991 she has undertaken 99 foreign trips out of which she took security cover on 21 occasions… Rahul Gandhi has travelled 1,892 times in Delhi and 247 times abroad without SPG cover since 2015… And then there are some protectees who ride expensive motorbikes at the speed of over 100 kmph in Lutyens’ Zone even as our security cars try to catch up,” Mr Shah said.

The Congress, during a discussion on the SPG (Amendment) Bill, accused the BJP government of playing “politics of vendetta” by removing the Gandhis’ security cover provided by the elite SPG.

Responding to them, Mr Shah said the Gandhis’ security will be handled by an equally competent CRPF and will include 10 commandos of NSG.  He added that the Gandhis will get “Z-plus” security with ambulance and Advance Security Liaison (ASL). Mr Shah said that former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh too has been provided same level of security.

"Impression is being created that the SPG Act is amended to withdrew security from the Gandhi family. Security of the Gandhi family has not been withdrawn but changed to 'Z-plus' with advance security liaison and ambulance that will be given across the country… This is the first time the SPG Act is being amended keeping in mind the security of PM, else it was done keeping in mind one family,” Mr Shah said.

He added that the Congress took many such decisions in the past, including removing SPG cover for family members of former PMs Chandra Shekhar, Narasimha Rao and I.K. Gujral, but no one complained then.

“Under the same rule the SPG cover of Dr Manmohan Singh was also changed and no one said anything. So what is the parameter — concern for security? Under this new amendment if at all someone will lose his SPG security cover, it will be Narendra Modi,” Mr Shah said.

He mentioned that before changing the security cover of Dr Singh, director of Intelligence Bureau met him and informed about reduced threat assessment. “Same person (IB director) wanted to meet the Gandhis, but they said there was no need to meet them.”

Earlier, during the discussion on the bill, Congress MP Manish Tewari underlined the threat to the Gandhi family and said former PM Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated only because his security cover was withdrawn.

The BJP members argued that for many having SPG or any security cover is a status symbol. Its MP Satya Pal Singh, a former police officer, said that threat perception reports are not always objective, but often subjective.

Congress MPs walked out of the House in protest as the bill was passed. As per the amendment, the SPG will now protect the PM and his/her immediate family members residing with him/her at the official residence. It will also provide security to former PM and their immediate family members staying with them at the residence allotted for a period of five years from the date on which s/he ceases to hold the office.