New Delhi, Feb 20 (UNI) Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has accorded VIP security cover to more than a dozen political leaders including those who recently joined the BJP from the TMC and other parties, an official in the security set up said on Saturday.
The decision to provide VIP security cover was taken after analysing a “threat assessment” report and also recommendations made by the central security agencies, the official further said, adding that the leaders have been granted the “X” and “Y” categories of central security cover like for their movement within West Bengal.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) would be providing them the security cover to these political leaders.
The CISF has a dedicated VIP security unit called the special security group (SSG) and it protects high-risk personalities like NSA Ajit Doval and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat among others.
The sources in the Union Home Ministry, however, contended that the latest security arrangements for the leaders in West Bengal have been made on a ‘temporary basis’ while keeping in mind the security concerns of the politicians during the forthcoming elections season. It was also decided that once the polls are over, the set up would be reviewed, they added.
Those who have been accorded with central security cover include CPI (M) MLA from Tamluk Ashok Dinda, TMC MLA from Kanthi Uttar seat Bansari Maity, Congress MLA from Purulia Sudeep Mukherjee, Gazole TMC MLA Dipali Biswas, TMC MLA from Bally (Howrah) and daughter of former cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya - Baishali Dalmiya, TMC MLA from Monteswar Saikat Panja, CPI (M) MLA from Haldia Tapasi Mondal, TMC MLA from Kalna Biswajit Kundu and TMC MLA from Barrackpore assembly seat Shilabhadra Dutta.
All these MLAs have recently quit either the ruling TMC, the CPI (M) or the Congress and most of them have joined the BJP.
BJP Lok Sabha MPs Kunar Hembram (Jhargram), Subhas Sarkar (Bankura) and Jagannath Sarkar (Ranaghat) and party leader and state committee member Krishnendu Mukherjee have also been provided the central security cover, sources said.
Elections to the 294-seat West Bengal assembly apart from that in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry are due in April-May.
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