Why does Rahul Gandhi avoid SPG protection, asks Rajnath
Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday turned the tables on the Congress in the Lok Sabha, accusing its vicepresident Rahul Gandhi flouting the security norms of the SPG (Special Protection Group) provided to him for security cover at par with the Prime Minister and going abroad on six occasions for 72 days in the last two years without any SPG security along.
Singh said he does not know what Rahul wanted to hide by avoiding the SPG security during foreign trips. His aggressive attack came in the wake of Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge asserting right at the start of the sitting that Rahul could have been killed in the boulders thrown at his car during a visit last week to the flood-affected areas in Gujarat.
Singh’s sharp attack on Gandhi’s foreign trips without security provoked the Congress members rushing into the well raising slogans and ultimately the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day shortly after noon without transacting any business.
The Congress members accused the home minister of diverting attention from the attempt on Rahul’s life. Singh rejected the charge that Rahul was not provided adequate security, asserting that adequate measures were taken by the State police ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Banaskantha, though Rahul did not listen to the area police or SPG officials but only his personal secretary and did not travel with the car provided by the police.
The Home Minister said Rahul had made frequent stops to meet people which was also not a part of the itinerary and against the security norms to be followed by a SPG protectee. He said Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has also appointed an officer of the ADG rank to investigate the attack.
He also referred to an earlier Gujarat visit by Rahul on July 21 and pointed out he had also then preferred to use a non-bullet proof car inspite of security suggestions by SPG on the contrary.
Hitting out at Kharge for stating that Rahul could have been killed in the last week’s attack, the Home Minister said he should not blame the government when the Congress vice-president flouts the security protocols.
In the last two years, Rahul Gandhi was out for 72 days on 6 foreign tours, but didn’t take SPG cover. “We want to know where did Gandhi go? Why didn’t he take SPG cover? We want to know what is Rahul Gandhi trying to hide by not taking SPG along on foreign tours when he is a SPG protectee?” Rajnath Singh asked.
“SPG protectees get security cover under an Act of Parliament reflecting the will and wisdom of Parliament for providing security. Going abroad without taking SPG cover is not only a violation of the SPG Act, but also negligence towards one’s own security,” he said. He added that “Rahul Gandhi undertook 121 tours in the last two years, out of which there were 100 security protocol violations of not using bullet proof cars.”