IB alert for SPG protectees in poll-bound states

As senior political leaders hit the campaign trail in the five poll-bound states, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has asked the state police chiefs to beef up security measures for the four Special Protection Group protectees including Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

As senior political leaders hit the campaign trail in the five poll-bound states, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has asked the state police chiefs to beef up security measures for the four Special Protection Group protectees including Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

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The IB communication comes in view of intelligence inputs that Pakistan's Inter-State Services (ISI) had got in touch with its operatives in Nepal to get them to attempt an attack during campaigning when politicians are most vulnerable.

Besides the other SPG protectees such as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the IB also wants the states to take special measures for the 12 central protectees who have been granted Z plus security.

Government sources said political leaders were particularly vulnerable during the road shows when they mix with the crowds. Police chiefs have accordingly been advised to ensure complete sanitisation of the routes of the road shows and front portion of the public enclosures during the rallies.

Security officials said the protectees were being advised to minimise exposure during the road shows and the states were being advised to ensure that the protective ring around the protectee was not broken.

"There will be times when the political leaders would want to step outside the line drawn by the police. We can only persuade them and take precautions to minimise the threats," one of them said.