Chandigarh : The security wing of Punjab Police has written to the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) stating that chief minister Bhagwant Mann does not require ‘Z-plus’ security in Punjab, Chandigarh and Delhi.
The development comes a week after the MHA accorded Z-plus category armed security cover to Mann in view of possible threats to him emanating from the country and abroad.
Senior officials in the chief minister’s office said the security wing has written to the MHA that the CM doesn’t need CRPF protection in Punjab, Chandigarh and the national capital as Punjab Police have enough security arrangements in place to protect him in these regions.
The Centre can, however, extend the CRPF protection to Mann in other states, the letter said.
Punjab Police special operations group (SOG), earlier known as special protection unit (SPU) guards the CM in Punjab and at present, he has around 1,200 cops in his three-tier security. The SOG has been trained on the lines of the National Security Guards (NSG), a counter-terrorism unit.
A security wing official said the state government had requested the MHA to provide Z-plus protection to the CM whenever he is in states other than Punjab, Delhi and UT Chandigarh. But the Centre upgraded the security cover to the CM across the country. We have written the fresh letter to the MHA to clear the confusion as the dual security arrangements could bring fresh challenges in guarding the CM,” said the official.
{{/usCountry}}A security wing official said the state government had requested the MHA to provide Z-plus protection to the CM whenever he is in states other than Punjab, Delhi and UT Chandigarh. But the Centre upgraded the security cover to the CM across the country. We have written the fresh letter to the MHA to clear the confusion as the dual security arrangements could bring fresh challenges in guarding the CM,” said the official.
{{/usCountry}}The need to give ‘Z-plus’ security for Punjab CM was felt when he recently visited other states to take part in the election rallies of the Aam Aadmi Party, an official said.