Former Congress MLA Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi gets Z category security days after joining BJP

Sodhi, 67, has been an MLA for the last four terms and is considered close to former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh. An MLA from Guruharsahai in Ferozepur district, he was the sports minister in the Amarinder Singh government.

Following Amarinder Singh’s resignation from the party over his falling out with Navjot Singh Siddhu, Sodhi recently announced his resignation from the Congress on Twitter and had posted the letter sent to party president Sonia Gandhi.

He joined the BJP on December 21 at the party’s headquarters on DDU Marg.

Sources said the intelligence Bureau made an assessment of threat on Sodhi’s life and gave a report to the Ministry of Home Affairs following which the Ministry issued orders to Accord him CRPF security. Sources said Sodhi will have the cover whenever he is in Punjab or Delhi.

Under this cover, Sodhi will have a contingent of 6-8 commandos travelling with him all the time, the sources said.

The force protects as many as 76 personalities under its VIP security cover including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former PM Manmohan Singh and the first family of Congress party, its president Sonia Gandhi and her children Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi, among others.

It recently trained a contingent of women commandos who are expected to become part of the security detail of VIPs in coming days.

It is currently also training a contingent of the Delhi Police and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in VIP security tasks.