CHANDIGARH: Over 10 per cent of the Punjab Police force—8,000 of the total 70,000 personnel—armed with MP-5s, AK-47s and 9 mm carbines guards 2,500 VIPs in the state. Over `35 crore is being spent on VIP security every month. Of these, 1,000 personnel have been allotted by the ruling SAD-BJP to its leaders and others without any intelligence clearance.
Many politicians, senior officers and others are guarded by 30-50 gunmen each. Guards have been hired after seeking permits from Senior Superintendents of Police (SSP), which is unauthorised as only a DGP or ADGP (Security) can allot gunmen. With the Assembly elections slated for February 4, only 304 personnel have been withdrawn from VIP duty.
As per the state’s security policy, state Cabinet ministers can be allotted 18 gunmen (a residential guard of five at their residence, a residential guard of five at their native place and besides four Personal Security Officers (PSOs), three gunmen in the escort vehicle and a security in-charge). Chief Parliamentary Secretaries get 11 security personnel, MPs get four PSOs while MLAs are allowed four PSOs. The policy states that security will be provided by the DGP or ADGP (Security) on the basis of threat perception, which will be obtained from ADGP (Intelligence) and SSPs.
“Unauthorised gunmen should be withdrawn immediately. It should not be a status symbol. Once the Congress forms the government in the state, we will withdraw police personnel from security duties and deploy them across the state for law and order, traffic and other duties,” said former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh.
Some 200 VIPs outside Punjab also have Punjab Police security. Some are linked to the Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee and others are from political families of Haryana.
Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said, “It has been brought to our notice that people are carrying gunmen and intimidating voters. The state DGP and Chief Secretary have assured us that the security personnel are being withdrawn.”
After incidents of shoe-hurling at CM Parkash Singh Badal and stone-pelting at Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal’s convoys, the EC directed police to provide Z+ security in accordance with the Blue Book of the state. Punjab DGP Suresh Arora said, “We are withdrawing security of those who have been given security in an unauthorised manner.”