After Sunday's serial explosions in Patna where BJP's prime ministerial candidate was addressing an election rally, the Gujarat government has decided to send around 25 police personnel from the state to provide extra security to their chief minister.
Earlier, only a couple of police officers of the rank of Inspector General would go to states — where Modi was scheduled to visit — to liaison with the concerned state police and discuss the security arrangements.
Modi already has Z-plus security cover provided by the National Security Guard (NSG). At any point in time, 36 black cat commandos form an inner security cordon around him.
On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said Modi has been given sufficient security cover and ruled out providing SPG cover to him. "Narendra Modi has been given sufficient security. He does not need the SPG security," Shinde said on the sidelines of a function at NSG headquarters at Manesar.
According to the SPG Act, the specialised commando force is mandated to provide proximate security to the Prime Minister and former PMs and members of their immediate families.
"We have decided to send in our men in addition to the NSG commandos who are already protecting him during his future visits outside the state. In Gujarat, our men take care of his security but outside also we have decided to increase the number of our own men. We have requested other state police also to secure the routes taken by him in a better manner," said S K Nanda, additional chief secretary (home), Gujarat.
When asked about the explosions in Patna, which could have compromised Modi's security, NSG DG Arvind Ranjan said, "NSG gives only mobile security cover on which there will not be any let-up, as far as general security is concerned it is the responsibility of state government and I cannot comment on that."
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