Central govt refuses SPG cover for Mayawati

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati may have received greetings from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi but the UPA government will not give her the gift that she really wants. The Centre is in no mood to give her an SPG (Special Protection Group) cover.

A senior central minister made this clear today. The Centre's logic is there is no precedent of a chief minister getting the SPG cover.

"She already has almost 40 National Security Guard commandos for her security. There are 20 cars in her convoy. What more does she need?" asked a senior Congress leader.

The UPA also smells political ambition behind her demand. The Congress feels she wants to enhance her political importance at a time she is touring outside her state and trying to project the BSP as a national party.