NEW DELHI: Amid diplomatic and military tension with Pakistan, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has upgraded the security cover provided to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, sources said on May 14.
Two bullet-proof vehicles have been added to the security cover following the review of the Z-category security cover already provided to him.
Security drills close to his residence in Delhi have also been stepped up.
Post the military stand-off between India and Pakistan, intelligence agencies reviewed the armed security cover to Minister Jaishankar and had recommended the addition of bullet-proof vehicles to his Z category convoy.
Jaishankar already has Z-category security, provided by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commandos. A team of 33 commandos is deployed to protect him around the clock.
The Z-category security cover, the second-highest degree of security in India, includes 22 personnel, 4 to 6 commandos from the National Security Guard (NSG) and local police, and at least one bulletproof vehicle.
This level of security is typically assigned to high-profile politicians and celebrities, especially those facing specific threats.
The CRPF VIP security wing provides armed cover to the minister. The VIP security cover under the central protection list begins from Z-plus (Advanced Security Liaison) to Z-plus, Z, Y, Y-plus and X.
Under the CRPF’s VIP security cover, there are close to 200 important persons, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Congress' top leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Earlier, in October 2023, Jaishankar’s security had been upgraded from Y to Z category. The upgrade was based on a threat assessment by the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
At that point of time, as part of the security drills, 12 armed static guards were stationed at the Union Minister’s residence, along with six Personal Security Officers (PSOs), 12 armed commando escorts shifts, three watchers working in shifts, and three trained drivers present round the clock.
The developments come following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that led to India striking back through aerial strikes at terror hubs in Pakistan, including Bahawalpur and Muridke, the headquarters of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba, respectively. The strikes that took place on the intervening night of May 7-8 were part of ‘Operation Sindoor’.