Government revokes SPG security for Gandhi family, to be accorded Z+ protection instead: sources

The central government has decided to revoke the SPG security protection from members of the Gandhi family, including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, according to reports on Friday.

They will now be accorded Z+ security privileges.

The decision was taken after a top-level meeting at the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, sources said, adding that the security of the Gandhi family will not be compromised upon and they will now be provided Z Z+ security cover, provided by the Central Reserved Police Force (CRPF). Earlier, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's SPG security cover was also revoked and accorded CRPF's Z-plus protection.

The recent decision was taken after assessing threat inputs from all intelligence agencies which suggested that in the recent past there has been no direct threat to the Gandhi family.

The Special Protection Group (SPG), formed in 1988, is an Indian armed force "for providing proximate security to the Prime Minister of India and former Prime Ministers of India and members of their immediate families wherever in the world they are." 

The security cover of all former Prime Ministers and their families are reviewed from time-to-time and downgraded or upgraded as required based on the potential threat.