Ex-PM Manmohan Singh loses elite SPG security cover

New Delhi: Centre has withdrawn the security cover provided by Special Protection Group (SPG) to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Sources said the decision was taken following a “detailed threat perception and due diligence’’ done by multiple security and intelligence agencies.

The former Prime Minister will, however,  continue to get a Z plus security cover which would in all probability be provided by the Special Deployment Group (SDG) and other commandos of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

 Mr Singh, who was the PM for a decade from 2004-14, would now be protected by a Ring Round Team (RRT) of the CRPF commandos while security at his Motilal Nehru Marg residence will be handled by the SDG of the same force.

Till the time the CRPF takes over the complete security, the former PM will continue to be protected by the SPG.

Security officials claimed that VIP security review and threat perception was a routine exercise conducted on a regular basis by a team of experts drawn from multiple agencies.

“The decision is based purely on professional inputs provided by different security and intelligence agencies over the last few months.

Even in the past, some former PMs like Narasimha Rao, IK Gujral and Deve Gowda have been given security by central police forces rather than the SPG.

“Since SPG is a high specialised security unit it is used to protect PM, former PMs and their family members like the Gandhis who have a very high threat perception,’’ a senior security official said.

As per Special Protection Group’s security protocol a former PM of his family gets its security cover for almost a year after relieving office.

Mr Singh’s daughters had voluntarily given up the SPG cover after he left office in 2014.

Special Protection Group was raised in 1985 through an Act of Parliament following the assassination former PM Indira Gandhi.

The Act was subsequently amended to included former PMs and their families following the killing of Rajiv Gandhi at an election rally in Sriperumbudur in 1991.