Cong urges Amit Shah to restore Z+ security cover of ex-Assam

Opposition leader in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia on Saturday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to restore the 'Z+' security cover of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi which has been downgraded to 'Z' category.

Saikia, in his letter made available to the media here, condemned the step taken by the Union Home Ministry to downgrade the security cover of the former Chief Minister and urged the BJP-led central government to reconsider its decision and immediately restore Gogoi's 'Z+' security cover.

Earlier too, the NSG security cover for the former chief minister was reduced and CRPF security cover was provided instead, the Congress leader pointed out.

"Prior to that, the security cover of former Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson and AICC President Sonia Gandhi, Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi and AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi was reduced from SPG protectee category to 'Z+' category under CRPF personnel," he added.

It must be borne in mind that after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the SPG Act was modified and security cover was provided to families of former Prime Ministers in view of threat perception to their lives, he pointed out.

"This vindictive government has chosen to withdraw security cover of people who criticised the BJP for its various unconstitutional, unlawful acts and last month, the security cover of another former chief minister of Assam Prafulla Kumar Mahanta was also scaled down from 'Z+' with SPG to 'Z+' with CRPF," he said.

"All this is being done on the basis of the BJP's brute majority in Parliament," he added.

Tarun Gogoi had led Assam at crucial periods and was instrumental in restoring peace to the state and taking it along the path of progress through sheer determination but he is now being targeted by the government due to his active anti-CAB/CAA stand in recent months, Saikia said.