Former J&K CM's to lose SSG security protection

• Image Credit: Internet

• Jan 6, 2022 | Sourav Boruah

Srinagar: The news of the withdrawal of the  Special Security Group’s(SSG) protection of four former Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir is doing rounds on social media as the four former CM’s of J&K strongly criticize this unforeseen act of the Central government.

Earlier on Wednesday morning, a security review meeting of the former CM’s of India was held in Delhi, following which the decision was taken to withdraw the SSG protection of National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah, his son as well as Vice President of the party Omar Abdullah, PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, as per official reports.

The Special Security Group is a well-trained special operation security unit, with special tactics and deadly weapons. The SSG unit was formed in the year 2006 to protect former CM’s, VVIP’s and other important bureaucrats of the country.

In a  dispirited Tweet National Conference’s Vice President Omar Abdullah said that the decision which was taken by the Central Government was biased and is clearly an attempt to curb the increase in political popularity of the party in the state. He added that he was not officially informed about the abdication of security personnel.

"But none of this will silence us. The timing is important. All ex-CMs have become more vocal and taking on the government," he said.

Meanwhile, other former CM’s, Mr. Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, and Ghulam Nabi Azad antagonize and criticized the Center for the move.   

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All the four former chief ministers will now be protected by the security wing of J&K police based on their security categorization and threat assessment.

"The Committee decided that the Ex-CMs of J&K shall be provided the security by the security wing as per their present categorization i.e., Z+ by name, with additional escorts/measures as per necessity and assessment of the Security wing," reads an official communique.

Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad are also protected by National Security Guards (NSG), the protection provided by the central government based on threat assessment of two former chief ministers.

On the other hand on the first day of the year 2022,  Chief Minister of Assam Dr.Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that former CMs in Assam will no longer be chartered to security covers or a government residence.

In a media conference Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma said that from the next term onwards, former CM’s will be not provided with security covers unless there is a potential threat to the concerned person.

However former CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and Sarbananda Sonowal are exempted from this arrangement and can continue with the security covers in and around the city.