Gandhis lose their SPG cover

The Special Protection Group cover given to the Gandhi family -- Sonia, her son Rahul and daughter Priyanka -- has been withdrawn and they will now get 'Z+' security provided by the Central Reserve Police Force.

Sources said the government's decision has been conveyed to the Gandhi family, but sources close to the family said they have not been informed.

The decision became a huge political flashpoint, with Congress leaders attacking it as a move to "downgrade" the security of the Gandhis, who have enjoyed the SPG cover since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991.

The Congress held a press conference where party spokespersons said that PM Modi and Home Minister

Amit Shah are "blinded by personal revenge and political vendetta."

It was also pointed out that similar withdrawal of the SPG cover to Rajiv Gandhi by then PM V P Singh had resulted in his assassination.

To buttress their point, the spokespersons also read out some of the recent SPG communications on the threats to the family, particularly to Rahul Gandhi, from the Islamic terror organisations. The communications on the threat perception were sent in August and November last year as also in June and August this year.

The duo also released a letter written by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior Congress leaders to the Cabinet secretary on November 5, expressing concern over the SPG allegedly leaking out the Gandhi family's movements in media and social media.

Both decried the messages sent by unknown sources in the Home Ministry explaining why the SPG security was withdrawn. They pointed out that the SPG comes under the Cabinet Secretary and not under the Home Ministry; they also questioned how the Home Ministr y could issue the notice of withdrawal of SPG security.

The party castigated Prime Minister Modi for remaining "mum" and asserted that the WhatsApp messages in the name of unnamed sources had put a question mark on how the government misuses the social media. He said if not Modi and Shah, at least the Cabinet Secretar y and the Home Secretar y, should go on record to state why the security had been withdrawn.

In reply to a question, Randeep Surjewala said the government had taken exception to Rahul going abroad without taking the SPG commandos along, claiming high security risks inherent in his act. But what had happened in the last 10 days to withdraw the SPG cover, af ter expressing concern over the security threats, he demanded.

He said Prime Minister Modi flouts the SPG's blue book off and on by keeping away the commandos and yet nobody questions him; however, questions were raised when Rahul preferring to go abroad without the SPG personnel.