Lok Sabha passes SPG (Amendment) Bill, Amit Shah says earlier amendments only to ensure continued cover for a family

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019, mandating that family members of a former Prime Minister will get security cover of the SPG only for five years after the said leader demits the office. 

This came as the government withdrew the SPG cover provided to members of the Gandhi family. The security of the Gandhi family - Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka - has been now taken over by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Initiating the debate on the bill, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that SPG will provide proximate security to the Prime Minister and his immediate family members residing with him at his official residence.

The Bill says that family members of a former Prime Minister who reside with him at his allotted accommodation will get security cover of the SPG only for five years, from the date he/she ceases to hold the office of Prime Minister, the government said in a statement. 

The Bill also says that when the proximate security is withdrawn from a former Prime Minister, such proximate security shall also stand withdrawn from members of his or her immediate family.

Replying to the debate, the Home Minister noted that there is a perception in the country that the amendment in SPG Act is only for the purpose to remove the SPG security cover for the Gandhi family. 

Contrary to this, the change of the security cover has been done only on the basis of yearly security threat perception review by the government. Such a security review has been a part of the original act, he added.

"An effort is being made to paint a picture that the government isn't concerned about the security of Gandhi family and that their protection has been withdrawn. Their protection has not been withdrawn but only changed, based on threat assessment," the Home Minister said.

Shah said the security cover of the Gandhi family has not been reduced or taken away, rather it has just been changed from SPG cover to Z Plus security cover by the CRPF, along with ASL and ambulance, across the country. 

The level of the security cover has been maintained and not even one security personnel has been reduced, he said, adding that the SPG security cover is being formed by the same security personnel who comprise of the Z plus security cover.

The SPG came into existence in 1985 and till 1988, it was governed by an Executive Order and only in 1988 the SPG Act came into existence to provide security to the Prime Minister and his/her family, Shah said. 

Amendments to the Act were effected in 1991, 1994, 1999 and 2003 and today a further amendment is being brought to revert back to the original spirit of the Act. Previous amendments to the 1988 Act have been carried out each time to provide security cover only to one family, Shah alleged. 

"I have no hesitation in saying on record that the changes that were made to the bill earlier were made keeping in mind a single family. It is the first time it has been changed keeping in mind the security of Prime Minister," Shah said. 

Dismissing the charge of vindictiveness for removal of SPG cover of Gandhi family, Shah stated that such security cover reviews have happened in the past with respect to ex-prime ministers, including PV Narasimha Rao, IK Gujaral, Chandra Shekhar, HD Deve Gowda and Dr Manmohan Singh, but there was no such opposition ever when SPG cover was withdrawn. 

Attacking the Congress for raising the issue of Gandhis' security, Shah said, "Chandra Shekhar ji ki suraksha le li gayi koi Congress karyakarta kuchh nahi bola, Narasimha Rao ki suraksha chali gayi kisi ne chinta nahi vyakt kari. IK Gujral ki suraksha threat assessment ke baad li gayi. Chinta kis ki hai, desh ke netritva ki ya ek parivaar ki? (Chandra Shekhar's security was taken away, no Congress worker objected. Narasimha Rao's security was taken away, nobody expressed worry. Indra Kumar Gujral's security was taken away after threat assessment. Who do you worry about? The country's leadership or about the family?"

Responding to Shah, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "We support all steps that are taken for the security of PM Modi. But your (Amit Shah) speech has made it clear that there is a political vendetta. You are targeting a family that has sacrificed two lives for the nation."

Before Shah, while speaking against the bill, Congress MP Manish Tewari said, "Reason given to remove SPG protection provided to former Prime Ministers is 'number of individuals to be provided SPG cover can potentially become quite large'. Same reason was given to remove security cover of Former PM Rajiv Gandhi."

"SPG protectees were told in June that their threat assessment was increasing. I want to ask that what changed between June and November that SPG protection was removed without amending the law," Tewari said.

The three Gandhi family members were given SPG cover after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination in 1991. 

Talking about the rationale behind bringing the amendment, Shah informed the House that in the Act, there is no cut off period for providing the SPG protection to former Prime Ministers or members of their immediate families. Thus, the number of individuals to be provided SPG cover can potentially become quite large. 

"In such a scenario, there can be severe constraint on the resources, training and related infrastructure of SPG. This can also impact the effectiveness of SPG in providing adequate cover to the principle protectee, the Prime Minister in office," he said. 

Shah said that the main aim of bringing this amendment is to make SPG more efficient.