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Attempting to restructure the long overdue personal security architecture, the Centre is believed to have decided to withdraw elite commando force of National Security Guard (NSG) from VIP security duties to ensure the Black Cats concentrate on its core counter-terror and counter-hijacking duties.
Now the task of guarding all the nine “Z Plus” category VIPs, done till now by Black Cats, will be assigned to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) once formal orders are issued, said sources.
At one of the meetings on security restructuring convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah a few months ago attended by other stakeholders including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the issue of withdrawing Army personnel on deputation to the NSG was also deliberated upon.
But, sources said, that Shah did not approve. The NSG is a force which has personnel on deputation only.
The MHA, however, is also considering to withdraw the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), raised for guarding borders with China, from the VIP duty.
The Ministry may task either the CRPF or the CISF, the two designated central armed police force (CAPF, to take care of the personal security of the VIPs looked after by the ITBP.
The 9 VIPs protected by the NSG commandos are Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, former UP CM Mayawati, former Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh, and former Congress Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
An officer stated that change of guard is likely to happen in phases with the six VIPs now enjoying NSG cover first provided CRPF protection.
The MHA will return a battalion of the CRPF, deployed for Parliament duty, for the personal security of the VIPs. As of now the CRPF has six VIP security battalions.
Rajnath Singh and Yogi Adityanath will also have the advanced security liaison (ASL) protocol, which means a CRPF team will visit the location in advance, well before the VIP protectee reaching there, for safety.
The CRPF does that for its high profile protectees: Amit Shah, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and three Gandhi family Congress leaders, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The NSG units are scattered to different identified stations across the country for quicker response to emergency situations.
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