NEW DELHI: Amid standoff between the Centre and the West Bengal government, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) wrote to the Director General of Police (DGP) seeking adequate arrangement of police support in view of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s two-day visit to the state beginning tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has accorded “Z” category VIP security cover to Suvendu Adhikari, a former minister in the Mamata Banerjee government, who has recently resigned from the assembly and is likely to join BJP.
Sources in the security establishment said Shah is a Z plus protectee and the CRPF requires the support of the state police for Advance Security Liaison (ASL) facility.
Under ASL category, an advance team coordinates with security stakeholders for well coordinated arrangement during the protectee’s visit to the concerned areas, they added.
In the letter, the CRPF has also mentioned about the security lapses during the recent visit of BJP president JP Nadda to the state on December 10.
Sources said, the CRPF has written that during the incident of attack on Nadda adequate police deployment was not available.
Nadda has been accorded “Z” category of security of the CRPF, but on December 10 his convoy was allegedly attacked by the TMC workers in Diamond Harbour area of Kolkata in which he escaped but party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh were hurt.
Taking a stern view of the incident, Centre sought a report from the state government and the governor and transferred the three IPS officers, who were responsible for BJP president’s security, on Central deputation.
According to sources, Adhikari, 50, would be secured by armed commandos of the CRPF whenever he moves in West Bengal under “Z” category of security cover.
At all places except West Bengal, they said, he will have a “Y+” cover by the central paramilitary force.
Under the “Z” category, Adhikari will have a mobile team of about 6-7 armed CRPF commandos and a pilot and escort vehicle. A report of the central security agencies on probable threats against Adhikari was analysed before the security was granted to him, the sources said.