Manmohan Singh says ‘no problem’ as Modi govt removes his SPG security cover

News Network
August 26, 2019

New Delhi, Aug 26: Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has removed the Special Protection Group (SPG) from former prime minister Manmohan Singh’s security detail.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs stated that a review of the present security cover is a “periodical and professional exercise based on threat perception that is purely based on professional assessment by security agencies.”

The former prime minister will continue to have an Z+ security cover, the statement added.

According to sources who are close to Singh, he is "personally not concerned about his security" and will abide by the decision taken by the government. “No problem... It’s Ok,” was his response, sources said.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

The force of around 3,000 officers which earlier used to provide protection to prime ministers, former prime ministers and their families, will now only be providing protection for PM Narendra Modi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

In November 2018, Namita Bhattacharya, the foster daughter of late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had written a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stating that the family does not want an SPG cover, saying that it is intrusive and leads to inconvenience for the public.

An official who had information about the matter told a national daily that the government had been renewing Singh’s SPG force, along with that of his wife Gursharan Kaur, annually after he left the prime minister’s office in 2014. His daughters had previously given up the elite protection in 2014.

On 25 May, the government initiated a review which took three months and finished on Sunday, 25 August, the report added. The official further confirmed that Singh was informed about the removal of his SPG cover.

The withdrawal of the elite protection force has happened earlier as well when the cover was removed from former prime ministers HD Deve Gowda and VP Singh.

The Special Protection Group was set up in 1985, after former prime minister Indira Gandhi was killed by her security guards in 1984.

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News Network
July 25,2020

New Delhi, Jul 25: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has made key appointments in its different commands all across the country including formations that look after operations along the borders with China and Pakistan.

Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari has been appointed as the head of the Delhi-based Western Air Command (WAC) which looks after both the crucial borders, with China in Ladakh and all along Pakistan from Ladakh up to Bikaner in Rajasthan.

Chaudhari would be assuming charge of the new office on August 1, replacing Air Marshal B Suresh who is superannuating after a brief tenure of nine months there.

In the Shillong-based Eastern Command, incumbent Air Marshal RD Mathur would be moving to the Bangalore-based Training Command on October 1, he will be replaced by Air Marshal Amit Dev. The Eastern Command looks after the entire Northeastern region including the border with China from Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh.

As per the new appointments issued on July 24, Kargil war gallantry awardee Air Marshal Dilip Kumar Patnaik would be taking over as the Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) at the Prayagraj-based Central Air Command.

On October 1, the Air Force would also get a new in-charge of personnel in Air Marshal RJ Duckworth who is presently the SASO in the WAC.

Air Marshal Vikram Singh would be the next SASO of the WAC. Air Marshal J Chalapati-- the officer who had briefed the Supreme Court on the Rafale issue last year, would be the SASO of the Trivandrum-based Southern Air Command.

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News Network
January 2,2020

New Delhi, Jan 2: Thirteen firefighters were among the 14 people injured when a battery factory collapsed in northwest Delhi's Peera Garhi following an explosion due to a fire that broke out early on Thursday morning, officials said.

A fire brigade personnel still remained trapped under the debris of the building in Udyog Nagar area, an official said.

A large portion of the two-storey building collapsed following an explosion when firefighters were dousing the blaze, the official said, adding that fire department had received a call at 4.23am.

Plumes of smoke billowed out from the building as the fire brigade personnel battled to contain the blaze. An eyewitness said several explosions were heard as the blaze gutted down the building.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and civil authorities rushed to the spot to control the situation, an official said, adding that 35 fire tenders were at the spot.

The injured, including a security guard of the factory, were rushed to nearby hospitals, a police officer said.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he was monitoring the situation.

"V sad to hear this. Am closely monitoring the situation. Fire personnel trying their best. Praying for the safety of those trapped," Kejriwal tweeted.

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Agencies
February 20,2020

Kanpur, Feb 20: Inspector general, Kanpur range, has ordered a probe into a woman's allegation that the cops misbehaved with her at Raipurwa police station when she went there with her father to lodge a complaint of harassment and eve-teasing.

The woman posted her complaint on the Twitter handle of Kanpur police.

The woman, 21, alleged that instead of listening to her complaint, Raipurwa cops asked her, "Zyada padh gayi ho, itna advance kisne bana dia hai, tumhare Papa ne?" (You are too educated. Who made you so advanced - your father?)

She further said that instead of taking necessary action on her complaint, the police forced her father to compromise with the accused, the son of her landlord, who harassed her on Monday.

The woman also stated that there were no female cops at the police station and she had to wait for several hours.

"Throughout my presence at the police station, I had to interact with male cops," she tweeted.

Inspector, Raipurwa, Sunil Kumar, however, has denied allegations.

"Her allegations are not true. Both the parties settled the dispute on their own," he said.

IG Range, Mohit Agarwal, meanwhile, said, "I have asked the SSP to initiate a probe in this regard and take action against guilty cops."

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