Congress points out BJP's 'double standard' on security to Modi

Grand old party says now BJP wants SPG for Modi but when it was in power it spoke differently

The Congress walked straight into a trap laid by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the issue of the security to Narendra Modi, when it said Modi’s security was adequate and did not need to be upgraded.

Days after simultaneous bomb blasts in Patna ahead of Modi’s rally, Minister of state for Home, RPN Singh, said Modi had the protection of the National Security Guard (NSG) and this was quite enough. “Whatever security is required, we have given to Modi,” Singh said.

After the Patna blasts, the BJP had passed a Parliamentary Board resolution demanding their prime ministerial candidate be covered by the Special Protection Group (SPG).

All RPN Singh needed to have done is advised the BJP to read the SPG Act: that says only the PM and his immediate family are entitled to SPG security, an act that the BJP helped to pass.

In fact, in 2003, when the SPG Act was amended to review protection for former Prime Ministers and their families on a year-to-year basis, the BJP, which was in power, had batted strongly for this level of protection to PMs. VPS Badnore of the BJP had spoken eloquently that given the financial burden, only PMs should be given SPG protection and other VIPs, be protected differently.

Instead of pointing this out, completely out of context, today Singh reminded BJP leaders about the alleged laxity in providing security to Rajiv Gandhi when he was out of power - the former Prime Minister was not given security even of the level of a Sub-Inspector. “Maybe that's why he lost his life," said Singh.

The comparison is bizarre because it was Chandrashekhar, supported by the Congress who was in power in the centre, and a current UPA ally, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) which was the ruling party in the state. The BJP was nowhere in the picture when Rajiv Gandhi was asssassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

However, seizing upon RPN Singh’s remarks about Modi’s security, the BJP is now charging that the government is casual and dismissive about Modi’s well-being. Party spokesmen repeated they wanted “PM-like” security for Modi who has ‘Z’ plus security.
Interestingly, as Home Minister, while piloting the very same SPG (Amendment) bill, LK Advani had deplored the tendency to seek security, and in faintly horrified tones during the debate, had said many had approached him seeking Z security because that helped them to get a government house.

“The other day, when I was talking with some of the police officials in Delhi, I asked what the total strength of police personnel in Delhi, in the capital was. They told me that it was around 57,000 or so. I asked them what the estimated number of policemen who are entrusted with VIP security duty would be. I was shocked to hear that out of 57,000 personnel, 7,000 policemen were entrusted with the responsibility of VIP security. These figures are telling figures. Here is a city with a population of one crore or more and for that one crore population, 57,000 police personnel is a small number. And, out of this 57,000 personnel, 7,000 are to be entrusted with the duty to safeguard VIPs”, Advani had said in 2003.