Patna: In another setback to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Narendra Modi government has downgraded his security cover resulting in the complete withdrawal of elite National Security Guards (NSG commandoes) and the reduction in the number of his security personnel.
Yadav, has so far, been enjoying the ‘Z plus’ security cover provided by the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government but now he has been downgraded to the ‘Z’ category, which means he will have the security cover that includes only Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commandos.
Following the new order by the federal Home Ministry, none of the political leaders from Bihar now will come under the ambit of the ‘Z’ plus security category. As of now, the ‘Z’ security category is provided to 18 VIPs in the state by the central government.
This fresh setback to Prasad comes barely three months after the Modi government cancelled his direct access to the Patna international airport tarmac in July as part of the move to end the VIP culture among Indian politicians. A similar facility to his wife, Rabri Devi, was also withdrawn.
The move drew strong protests from the RJD president, who charged the Modi government with targeting its political rivals.
“My party stands on the foundation of social justice and I am not going to compromise with my ideologies and interests of the country despite all odds.
“‘Drive out the BJP [Bhartiya Janata Party] and save the country’ is the slogan of my party and this campaign will go on unabated till the BJP is thrown out of power,” Yadav told a media conference in Patna on Monday, reacting to the move.
He alleged his security cover had been downgraded under the conspiracy to leave him “immobile” and prohibit him from campaigning for his party/alliance in view of lurking threats from various quarters to his life.
“But I want to tell Modi and his advisors that I am not a bit scared and will move freely across the country despite limited security,” the RJD president declared, adding that both the Prime Minister and the chief minister should be held equally responsible in the event of any untoward incidents.
He said earlier the BJP government had removed his security detail too, but it was restored soon due to his threat perception. He wondered how several small-time BJP leaders had been given the top-class security while his security detail has been curtailed.
Yadav’s son and Bihar Opposition leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav hit out at the federal government for curtailing Yadav’s security. He said Yadav figures in the hit-list of several groups and that a conspiracy had been hatched at a top level to eliminate him by curtailing his security cover. “Lalu Prasad figures in the hit-list of several anti-social groups and I apprehend he could be murdered,” he told the media in the Bihar assembly premises today.
