BHUBANESWAR: Police on Monday removed the security barricades erected outside BJD leader VK Pandian’s quarters in Unit-VI area here, a day after he announced his retirement from active politics.
However, Pandian, a close aide of outgoing chief minister Naveen Patnaik, will remain under Z category security cover. Police said the bureaucrat-turned-politician is still entitled to Z category security cover.
The barricades outside Pandian’s residence were removed as the ‘threat’ perception against him has become low after the general elections, said police sources. During and before the elections, many people were visiting Pandian’s residence for which police personnel were deployed outside to maintain law and order, they said.
Security of VVIPs is decided by the state-level security committee. Security is provided or scaled down basing on the threat perception of a protectee. Since there is no rush at Pandian’s quarters now, the police personnel are not being stationed outside.
Any political leader facing an imminent threat is immediately provided with adequate security. Recently, police personnel were deployed at the house of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Sarat Pattanayak after some unidentified miscreants hurled a stone there.