India’s main opposition party Congress alleged on Wednesday that security for its senior parliamentarian Rahul Gandhi had been jeopardized during the Delhi leg of his ongoing ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ last week.
In a letter addressed to federal Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday, Congress general secretary and parliamentarian KC Venugopal said that “significant security breaches” occurred on the march as it entered New Delhi on 24 December.
“The Delhi Police completely failed to control the surging crowd and maintain a perimeter around Rahul Gandhi, who is assigned Z+ security status,” Venugopal stated.
The letter claimed that police "remained a mute spectator" as crowds surged around Gandhi who is a former president of Congress and remains a key politician of the party.
What is Z+ Security Status?
‘Z+’ is the highest category of security in India. It comprises round-the-clock cover comprising 50 to 55 personnel, including nearly 10 commandos from the country’s elite National Security Guard (NSG).
At present, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu - and a few other personalities - qualify for ‘Z+’ cover.
Both Delhi Police and the NSG report to the federal Home Minister.
The letter from Venugopal also claimed that many people who have participated in the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ have been “interrogated” by agents in the Intelligence Bureau. It said that “miscreants” belonging to Haryana State Intelligence entered the containers where Bharat Jodo travelers were staying after the march reached Sohna area.
“The government should not indulge in vindictive politics and ensure the safety and security of the Congress leaders,” Venugopal stated, as it reminded him that previous Congress leaders and former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi (Rahul’s grandmother) and Rajiv Gandhi (Rahul’s father) had been assassinated.
The MP further emphasized the need to take “immediate steps” to rectify the security status of Gandhi ahead of the march’s scheduled entry into the "sensitive" Punjab state and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in the next few days.
‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ will resume from Delhi, its last stop, on 3 January. In the days ahead, Congress supporters will march through the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh before entering the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.