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
February 11,2020

New Delhi, Feb 11: As the counting of votes for the Delhi Assembly polls began, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday raised doubts on EVMs, alleging that no machine having a chip is tamper-proof.

He called upon the Election Commission and the Supreme Court to take a fresh look at the use of EVMs in the country.

"No machine (which) has a chip is tamper-proof. Also please do for a moment think, why no developed country uses EVM," Singh said in a tweet.

"Would CEC and Hon Supreme Court please have a fresh look on EVM voting in India? We are the largest democracy in the world, we can't allow some unscrupulous people to hack results and steal the mandate of 1.3 billion people.

"If they match the votes in the counting unit. Declare the result. If they don't match then count the ballots of all polling booths in the assembly. It would convince everyone and save time also as this has been the consistent argument of CEC in favour of EVM," the Congress leader said.

Polling for the 70-member Delhi Assembly polls was held on Saturday.

The Election Commission on Sunday announced that the final voter turnout was 62.59 per cent, five per cent less than 2015.

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Agencies
February 8,2020

New Delhi, Feb 8: A 26-year-old woman sub-inspector (SI) of the Delhi Police was shot dead near Rohini East Metro station on Friday night, officials said.

The SI, Preeti Ahlawat, was posted in Patparganj Industrial Area Police Station, police said.

A call about the incident was received around 9.30 pm, they said, adding she received gunshot wounds on her head.

"We have identified the suspects and CCTV footage of the area has been collected," said SD Mishra, Additional Commissioner of Police (Rohini).

Three empty cartridges were found from the spot, the officer said, adding a case has been registered and a probe is on.

Personal enmity is suspected to be the reason behind the killing, the officer said.

Ahlawat joined the Delhi Police in 2018.

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News Network
June 23,2020

New Delhi, Jun 23: The meeting between Indian Army's 14 Corps Commander Lt Gen Harinder Singh and his Chinese counterpart got over after around 11 hours, sources said.

"Today's meeting between the Corps Commander-level officers of India and China is over. The meeting which started at 11:30 am went on for around 11 hours. More details awaited," sources said.

The meeting started at around 11:30 am at Moldo on the Chinese side of Line of Actual Control (LAC) opposite Chushul to defuse the tensions in Eastern Ladakh sector due to Chinese military build-up, the sources said.

This is the second meeting between the two corps commanders. They had met on June 6 and had agreed to disengage at multiple locations. India had asked the Chinese side to go back to pre-May 4 military positions along the LAC.

The Chinese side had not given any response to the Indian proposal and not even shown intent on the ground to withdraw troops from rear positions where they have amassed over 10,000 troops.

India is also likely to discuss the change in rules of engagement on the LAC where the forces have been empowered to use firearms in extraordinary circumstances, sources had said.

They said India will also ask China to honour the commitment given during June 6 talks to disengage in the Galwan valley completely and other places.

The build-up of Chinese air assets including strategic bombers by the PLA Air Force in fields near Indian territory close to Ladakh is also likely to figure in discussions.

India and China have been involved in talks to ease the ongoing border tensions since last month.

However, last week as many as 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives in the face-off in the Galwan Valley after an attempt by the Chinese troops to unilaterally change the status quo during the de-escalation in eastern Ladakh.

The Indian intercepts have revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured in the violent clash.

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