The Big Picture - Security: Status Symbol or Protection?

BJP working president JP Nadda on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that there was no political angle in the withdrawal of the Special Protection Group cover to the Gandhis. Speaking in Rajya Sabha amid Congress protests in Parliament against the government's move, Nadda said the decision on the security cover was taken by the Home Ministry and not by politicians. Earlier, defending the government's decision to downgrade the security cover, senior BJP MP Subramanian Swamy said the decision has been taken by the Home Ministry, and moreover, the threat perception to the Gandhis has disappeared with the end of the LTTE in Sri Lanka. The Congress on Wednesday demanded in Rajya Sabha restoration of the SPG cover to the Gandhi family and former prime minister Manmohan Singh by "rising above partisan politics". The central government earlier this month replaced the Special Protection Group security cover given to Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi, daughter Priyanka Gandhi and former Prime Minister Singh with the 'Z-plus' security of the Central Reserve Police Force. On this edition of The Big Picture we analyse the primary objective of the SPG and how the assessment is made either to provide or take away SPG security.

Anchor - Frank Rausan Pereira

Guests - Dr. Vikram Singh, Former DGP, Uttar Pradesh,
Sanjay Singh, Political Editor, First Post,
Rana Banerji, Former Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat,

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