Govt strengthens security of RSS chief on inputs by intelligence agencies

The government has strengthened the security of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in view of latest threat inputs analysed by federal intelligence agencies, official sources said Wednesday.

The 73-year-old Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief is secured by an armed VIP protection unit of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) under the top Z-plus category.

Official sources said as part of this Z-plus protocol, Bhagwat was provided a security cover all across the country.

Recently, central intelligence agencies found that a procedure called Advance Security Liaison (ASL) for the RSS Sarsanghchalak was not being done uniformly and hence it was decided to notify it as a regular and mandatory exercise for Bhagwat, the sources said.

As part of the ASL, an advance team of the CISF 'special security group' (SSG) will every time carry out reconnaissance of the venues supposed to be visited by the RSS chief along with local police and administration authorities, they said.

The CRPF, that also has a VIP security wing, undertakes the ASL procedure for five of its protectees.

They are the Gandhi family-- Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, her MP son Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi. The two others include former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

A mandatory ASL procedure ensures that nothing is left to chance and the security of the VIP remains intact, an officer working in the special persons' protection domain said.

The CISF also provides protection to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, Maharashtra and its office in Delhi named 'Keshav Kunj'.

The RSS is considered the ideological fountainhead of the BJP.