New Delhi: In the wake of “threat assessments” against External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar following his stern stance and comments on Sikh extremists amid the ongoing India-Canada row, the minister’s security cover was upgraded to ‘Z’ category Thursday, ThePrint has found. Jaishankar till now received ‘Y’ security cover.
“The decision [to upgrade the minister’s security’ was taken after these threat assessments,” sources in the government told ThePrint.
The government provides security covers at different levels — Z+, Z, Y+, Y, and X. The Prime Minister’s security is entrusted to the Special Protection Group (SPG), which also provides security cover to former PMs, for up to five years after the end of their tenures.
Under Z+ security, people of national importance, like the Union Home Minister for example, are provided with a 55-strong security detail, which includes personnel from different forces and also 10 commandos from the National Security Guard (NSG), who serve along with the local police.
The Z security includes 30 armed personnel, who are divided between residential and mobile security, and escort vehicles.
In Y+ security, five personnel are on duty at the individual’s residence and six others — personal security officers (PSOs) who accompany the person — work in three shifts.
Earlier this week, Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan received Y+ security cover from the Maharashtra government in the wake of death threats reportedly received by the actor following the success of his films, Pathaan and Jawan.
Under Y-category security, five personnel are posted at the house and three PSOs work on rotation.
For those under X security, there are only three PSOs stationed who accompany the individual in three shifts, only one at a particular time. Under this category, no residential security is provided. Moreover, unlike X category security where local police are deployed, the other four categories use personnel from the central armed police forces.
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The India-Canada standoff
Last month, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Ottawa was “actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link” between Indian agents and the killing of Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June.
In a sharply-worded rebuttal, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the allegations of “India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated”.
The MEA statement added: “Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The inaction of the Canadian Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern.”
Tensions between the two countries also triggered a tit-for-tat expulsion of diplomats.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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