New Delhi: In the wake of BJP’s demand for fool-proof security to Narendra Modi, the government today said the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate’s security has already been tightened but ruled out SPG protection for him.
“We have already given adequate security to Narendra Modi. Whatever security is required, we have given to Modi,” Minister of State for Home RPN Singh told reporters here.
He was reacting to BJP’s allegation that the serial blasts at its rally in Patna was an attempt to liquidate the party leadership, including Modi.
The party has demanded the Centre should take adequate measures to provide fool-proof security to the leader.
“We have given him (Modi) NSG security which is very high level of security. We have also ordered conducting advance security drill before his visit to any place,” Singh said.
The Minister said security to a person is given according to his or her threat perception and the cover for Modi has been provided according to his threat perception.
He ruled out extension of Special Protection Group security to Modi, saying that under an Act of Parliament, SPG protection is given only to the Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers and their immediate family members.
“BJP knows this fact but trying to do politics in the name of Modi’s security,” he said.
The opposition party has accused both the Centre and the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar of gross negligence, intelligence failure and laxity in providing the requisite security for his Patna rally last month.
Reminding BJP leaders about the alleged laxity in providing security to Rajiv Gandhi when he was out of power, the Minister said the former Prime Minister was not given security even at the level of a Sub-Inspector.
He was killed in a suicide bomb attack in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu in May 1991.
“But we are not doing like that. The Home Ministry wants to give the assurance to everyone that it will give security to anyone according to his or her threat perception. Fool- proof security will be given to Modi,” he said. (PTI)

Sena’s veiled attack on BJP, Modi for ‘appeasing minorities’

Mumbai:  In a veiled attack on ally BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, the Shiv Sena on Wednesday said issues like Ram temple at Ayodhya and uniform civil code are being ignored for the sake of gaining power.
In an apparent barb at Modi, the Sena said, “Special efforts are being made to bring in burqa-clad women faces to (Modi’s) public rallies. Everyone is in a hurry to appease minorities. Rather than opposing the Congress, all are getting in the race of appeasing minorities,” an editorial in Sena mouthpiece “Saamana” said here.
Targeting BJP’s politics, the newspaper said, “people forgot the Ram temple issue in a bid to seek power.”
The Sena comments have surfaced even as BJP is trying to reach out to Muslims ahead of the Assembly and General elections, in a bid to seek acceptability for Modi, who has been under fire over the 2002 riots.
The editorial also claimed that appeasement of minorities will be detrimental to country’s interests in the long run.
“We had seen earlier that to get power, Ram temple issue was sidelined, issues like common civil code were kept aside,” the Sena said. (PTI)