Centre accords CISF cover to all 77 BJP MLAs in Bengal

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 11

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has accorded central security cover to 77 newly elected BJP legislators in West Bengal. They will be guarded by commandos of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

The decision was taken following a report of a four-member fact-finding central team, which visited the state following the post-poll violence there.

Officials in the CISF said that keeping in view the comparatively large number of protectees in one go, they were recalibrating the strength of personnel to be deployed for VIP security in West Bengal.

The officials further said security cover of 17 protectees had been withdrawn after the elections concluded. They had ‘Y’, ‘Y’ plus and ‘Z’ category security cover, involving a large number of personnel.

“The relived commandos will now be attached with the newly elected MLAs. Their number is enough to provide ‘X’-category security cover to all legislators,” said a senior CISF official.

The protectees, whose security has been withdrawn, are mostly BJP leaders from other states and party office-bearers, who were accorded VIP security during their stay in West Bengal during the election campaign.

Under the ‘X’ category security, two or three armed commandos escort a protectee and under the ‘Y’ category, four to five commandos do the job.