Hyderabad: Facing a manpower crunch in the police department, the governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have withdrawn bodyguards from 180 politicians, mostly former Members of Assembly and Parliament.
They have also downgraded the security of 38 other political leaders including Telugu Desam legislators in Telangana.
“The decision was taken on the basis of the review of the threat perception”, M.M. Bhagwat, inspector-general of police, security intelligence, Telangana, said.
Instructions have been issued to the commissioners and the district superintendents in this regard, he said.
The decision was taken at a meeting of security review committee of the state police.
The leaders whose security has been downgraded include E. Dayakar Rao, TDP’s floor leader in Telangana Assembly.
Reacting strongly, Dayakar Rao described it a “political vendetta” and said that the state government will be responsible if something happens to him.
His security has been brought down to four gunmen and a bullet proof vehicle and four policemen at his home in Hanmakonda in Warangal district. So incensed was he by this scaling down that he refused to accept the four gunmen and travelled to Hyderabad alone.
TDP has taken the issue to the governor E.S.L. Narasimhan. A delegation of party leaders met the governor and complained to him against downgrading of Dayakar Rao’s security.
Those who have lost the security cover were mostly former legislators and MPs. For the current legislators security cover of 1 + 1 gunman was provided. “additional security will be provided to a person depending upon the threat perception”, a senior police official said.
The committee has also given its report about the leaders who were still seen as facing threats and directed the police officials to make adequate security arrangements for them.
In Andhra Pradesh former revenue minister Dharmana Prasad Rao has reacted strongly to the decision to withdraw security “without proper assessment”.
Most of the political leaders in Telangana were provided additional security cover at the height of the Maoist violence and threats faced by them.
However with Maoist activities in most of the United Andhra Pradesh curbed and no major violence reported over the last few years, intelligence officials feel that most of the political leaders in the two states don’t need upgraded security cover.
