 "Only NSG, CISF to handle VVIP security: Home Ministry")
The Union Home Ministry has relieved the paramilitary forces CRPF and ITBP from VVIP protection and given the responsibility to their sister agencies CISF and NSG that are already in the job for long, an official said.
The ministry order, issued on November 23, said the decision was taken after a review of personal protection duties of VVIPS.
As per the order, the security of 92 VVIPs so far under Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) will be given in a "phase wise manner" to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), particularly its Special Security Group which was created in 2006 specifically for this purpose.
"The CRPF and ITBP shall be progressively relieved from personal protection work. The process may take time and hopefully be completed by the end of 2018," it said.
Till now, the CRPF was providing security to 75 VVIP's under "Z plus", "Z", "X", "Y Plus" and "Y" categories while ITBP was securing 17 such persons.
The order also said the National Security Guard (NSG) will continue to provide security to the high risk protectees as decided from time to time.
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The NSG currently protects only 14 high risk category VVIPs after a recent Home Ministry order downgraded the security of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad. NSG's Special Rangers Group, whose personnel are drawn from central armed police forces and state police forces, is deployed for this purpose.
After the Home Ministry order, the CISF will now have to take over the security of VVIPs like BJP President Amit Shah, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Kashmir interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma, Lalu Prasad and Reliance chief Mukesh Ambani who are now under CRPF security cover.
It will also have to take over the security of Jammu and Kashmir politicians like Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, National Conference patriarch Farooq Abdullah, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and CPI-M legislator Yusuf Tarigami as well as of some judges which are being guarded by the ITBP.