The Congress party on Friday launched a scathing attack on the BJP led Central government for withdrawing the Special Protection Group (SPG) cover to its president Sonia Gandhi and party leaders -- Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Speaking at a press conference here, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said: "Two former Prime Ministers of the country -- Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were murdered. It was former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who amended the law to give the family of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi SPG cover."
Venugopal said: "Former Prime Minister VP Singh made the same mistake for Rajiv Gandhi and the country paid a price for it in the assassination of Rajivji."
He alleged that blinded by personal revenge and political vendetta, the current dispensation was doing the same thing.
"On what circumstances the Home Ministry decided to do this. Usually, the SPG security is under the Cabinet Secretary and not with the Home Ministry but here the Home Ministry has issued the withdrawal notice. On what basis they have withdrawn the SPG cover. They are playing with the life of Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka," said Venugopal.
"There were rumours a month ago that the SPG cover will be withdrawn. At that time, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had written to the Cabinet Secretary, raising the concerns but there was no reply for the Cabinet Secretary regarding that," he added.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reviewed the security cover of three Congress leaders and later took the decision to withdraw their SPG security cover.
The Central government has now decided to provide them with Z plus security cover. The CRPF personnel will now guard the members of the Gandhi family.
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