NEW DELHI: Top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, Atal Behari Vajpayee and Murli Manohar Joshi and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader, Ashok Singhal will be provided Z-plus security. A decision to this effect was taken by the government recently after a review of security arrangements of V VIPs. According to sources, the three leaders will now be placed in the Z-plus category, the highest after the Prime Minister, whose security arrangements are looked after by the Special Protection Group (SPG).
In the Z-plus category, the leaders will be provided with a built proof Car, an escort vehicle, personal security officers who includes the National Security Guard (NSG) round-the-clock. Around two dozen VVIP”s have been provided with Z-plus security all over the country on the basis of the threat perception or sensitive tasks they may be handling.
Among top leaders and officials, who have already been provided Zplus category are the BJP president, L.K. Advani, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms, Jayalalitha and the former Punjab police chief, K.P.S, Gill.
The move to provide top security to the three leaders follows a top level review of the existing security arrangements in the wake of the increased threat perception in the country.
Highly placed sources said the security set up of these leaders had to be upgraded as Parliamentary elections were round the comer. With Mr. Vajpayce being projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the BJP and Other leaders expected to crises cross the country as part of the election campaign, no chances could be taken from the security point of view.
Earlier, a proposal to provide the President with SPG cover has been sent to the Prime Minister for approval after a top level committee reviewed the President’s security cover following receipt of secret information from intelligence agencies at home and abroad.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 17, 1996
