NEW DELHI: The Centre has accorded ‘Z+’ category VVIP security cover of elite NSG commandos to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in the wake of lurking threat from insurgent groups of the Northeast.
Union Home Ministry accorded the sanction recently for NSG cover to Assam CM after a review of the threat perception by the Intelligence Bureau.
According to the inputs with the Centre, Sonowal faces a high-grade threat from banned outfits like ULFA and NDFB.
Officials said a contingent of about 35 NSG commandos will soon take over Sonowal’s protective cover and a team of the counter-terror federal contingency force is being readied to be flown to Guwahati.
With this latest VVIP security duty, the NSG will now have a tally of 14 protectees under its cover.
Others being provided security cover by NSG include Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav, former UP chief minister Mayawati and BJP veteran L K Advani and Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh among others.