Manesar: The `black cat` commando
security provided to former Union Home Minister Buta Singh,
former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and two others has been withdrawn.
Apart from Buta Singh and Kalyan Singh, the National
Security Guard commandos provided to guard All India
Anti-Terrorist Front Chairman M S Bitta and journalist Ashwini
Kumar have also been withdrawn, bringing down the number of
those protected by the force to 16.
Though a decision has been taken to withdraw the NSG
commandos from Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, it
has not been implemented following a court intervention.
"The decision (to downgrade the cover) has been taken by
the Ministry of Home Affairs as there is a review committee
that decides on the same," Director General of National
Security Guard R K Madhekar said.
He said the order was issued by the Home Ministry
recently.
Earlier, Madhekar had stated that NSG cover was withdrawn
for former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta but an
NSG spokesperson said later in the evening that it was not
Mahanta but Kalyan Singh whose security has been downgraded.
The NSG security cover continues for Mahanta, BJP leader
L K Advani, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M
Karunanidhi, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, Union Ministers
Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad, Gujarat Chief Minister
Narendra Modi, AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha and a few others.
Madhekar said the Punjab government has requested the NSG
to train the state security personnel so that they could be
deployed for VIP duties.
PTI
