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nion Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde Wednesday rejected the BJP demand for security cover for its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi matching that provided to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Security provided by the Special Protection Group (SPG) was available only for the prime minister, former prime minister and, as an exceptional case, Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Responding to the BJP's demand, Shinde said that the matter was determined by law, and there was a law under which such security was provided only to the prime minister.
Earlier, Minister of State for Home R P N Singh had said that the central government provides security to people as per the threat perception, and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi already had Z-category National Security Guard (NSG) cover.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had demanded even more security for Modi.
Minister of State for Home Singh said: "The ministry of home affairs will give full security as per the threat perception."
He said Modi already had NSG cover, and extra security was provided for him during programmes like rallies.
The BJP Tuesday demanded that the central government take all necessary steps to provide adequate security to Modi following the October 27 serial blasts in Patna that left six dead and over 80 injured.
