Y+ security for Manjhi’s son Suman, home dept official says no letter yet

Earlier, the Union government had provided Y plus security cover to former union minister Upendra Kushwaha and former Bihar minister Mukesh Sahni.

Weeks after Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) aligned with the BJP-led NDA, the Union government has provided ‘Y+’ category security of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to its president Santosh Kumar Suman, the elder son of HAM( S) founder and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, a party functionary said on Tuesday.

Santosh Suman with father Jitan Ram Manjhi after quitting the Nitish Kumar cabinet last month. (HT file)

News agency ANI reported that the ministry of home affairs, in a letter issued in the recent past to the CRPF, had asked it to take over the security of Santosh Suman, a former Bihar government minister, based on a threat report from the Intelligence Bureau.

However, a senior home department official in Bihar said they had not received any letter in this regard from the MHA so far.

HAM( S) principal secretary general Rajesh Pandey said the party president had been provided Y plus security cover of CRPF.

Under Y-plus category, nearly a dozen armed security personnel of the CRPF provide round-the-clock security cover to the protectee.

Earlier, the Union government had provided Y plus security cover to former union minister Upendra Kushwaha and former Bihar minister Mukesh Sahni.

On June 21 , Suman and his father had met union home minister Amit Shah and announced their “in-principle” decision to join the NDA (National Democratic Alliance).

HAM(S), which was part of the ruling alliance in Bihar, withdrew its support from the government after Suman quit the Nitish Kumar cabinet on June 13, alleging pressure to merge his party with JD(U).

Later, CM Kumar had accused HAM(S) founder Manjhi of spying for the BJP.

HAM (S) has four MLAs in the 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly. JD(U) has 45 MLAs while the RJD has 79. The BJP has 77 legislators in the House.