Amit Shah on SPG bill: Security of Gandhi family not withdrawn but only changed

The Modi government recently withdrew the SPG cover from the Gandhi family members.

Clarifying that security of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her children Rahul and Priyanka has not been withdrawn, Shah said that it was changed to ‘Z-plus’ with an ambulance.

Replying to the debate on the SPG (Amendment) Bill, he asserted that the BJP does not carry out any action with a vindictive approach and it was the Congress which took many such decisions in the past. He said that the security cover has in fact been increased for the Gandhi family. “Impression is being created that the SPG Act is amended to withdrew security from the Gandhi family. This is not the fact. Security of the Gandhi family has not been withdrawn but changed to ‘Z-plus’ with advance security liaison and ambulance that will be given across the country,” he said.

The Special Protection Group (SPG) (Amendment) Bill passed in Lok Sabha today amid a walkout by the Congress. Several opposition members also wanted changes in the bill which were defeated by voice votes. According to the amended bill, the SPG will now protect the prime minister and members of his immediate family residing with him at his official residence. It will also provide security to former prime ministers and their immediate family members staying with them at the residence allotted for a period of five years from the date on which they cease to hold the office.

The SPG Bill guarantees SPG protection to former PMs for five years.

The Bill says SPG will provide security to “the Prime Minister and members of his immediate family residing with him at his official residence; and any former Prime Minister and such members of his immediate family as are residing with him at the residence allotted to him, for a period of five years from the date he ceases to hold office of Prime Minister.”

In the existing law, the provision concerned limits itself to protection for “immediate family members” and does not speak about where they should reside. It also guarantees protection for only one year after demitting office, and then the continuation of the SPG cover beyond that period based on threat perception reports given by central intelligence agencies.

The Bill, in that sense, guarantees SPG protection to former PMs for five years.

The SPG was set up in 1985, after the assassination of Indira Gandhi the year before. Parliament passed the SPG Act in 1988, dedicating the group to protecting the Prime Minister. At the time, the Act did not include former PMs or family members. The V P Singh government withdrew SPG protection given to his predecessor Rajiv Gandhi.

After Rajiv’s assassination in 1991, the law was amended to offer SPG protection to all former PMs and their families for at least 10 years.