RAIPUR: The Congress government in Chhattisgarh has scaled down the security cover of senior BJP leader and former chief minister Raman Singh, and his family members, according to an official order.
The move by the Bhupesh Baghel government follows the recommendations of the 'Protection Review Group' that had met last month and reviewed the security cover of protectees.
It has been decided to reduce the 'Z plus' security cover given to Raman Singh to the 'Z' category, the order issued by the state home department said.
His wife Veena Singh's security cover has been reduced from 'Z' to 'X' category.
Singh's son and former MP from Rajnandgaon Abhishek Singh's security cover has also been reduced from 'Z plus' to the 'Z' category, the order said.
The Chhattisgarh government has decided to remove the 'X' category security cover given to Abhishek Singh's wife Aishwarya and his sister Asmita, it said, adding that they won't have any security cover from the state government from now.
It has also been decided not to provide any security cover to Amit Jogi, son of former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi.
Amit Jogi, who did not have any security cover, is the head of the Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC) party.
The move by the state government assumes significance as the Centre had last month withdrawn the Special Protection Group (SPG) security cover given to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her children Rahul and Priyanka.
The central government had then moved in a bill to amend the SPG Act, 1988, that got the Parliament nod recently.
As per the amended Act, the SPG security cover will only be provided only to the Prime Minister, and to ex-PMs for a restricted period.