Government assures Congress leaders on Rahul's security

The government on Monday assured Congress leaders that it had asked the security agencies to take maximum precautions for party vice president Rahul Gandhi's security following an anonymous threat letter.

Sources said the Special Protection Group (SPG) and the Intelligence Bureau(IB) have been asked to take maximum precautions for his security.

The government assurance came after a Congress delegation, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel, treasurer Motilal Vora and Congress deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma met Home Minister Rajnath Singh here on Monday and apprised him about the threat to Rahul's life.

The letter was received by senior Congress leader V. Narayanasamy on May 5 at an election meeting in Puducherry.

Rahul is likely to address a rally of the Congress-DMK alliance on Tuesday at Karaikal in Puducherry.

Narayanasamy told IANS that the letter blamed the Congress for "closure of industries in Puducherry" and threatened to attack him and Gandhi.

"You and your former prime pinister's son will be blasted while attending the Karaikal meeting," the letter said, according to Narayanasamy.

According to sources, union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi directed the Special Protection Group -- which provides primary security cover to the Congress vice president -- and the IB to extra cautious regarding Gandhi's security.

Rahul Gandhi's father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu while campaigning for his party during the Lok Sabha elections in 1991.

--IANS

rak-mak/tsb