New Delhi: Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised Tuesday the issue of withdrawal of SPG security cover to the Gandhi family, but the government said he cannot raise the matter in Zero Hour as he had not given a notice for the same.
After the notice of adjournment motion given by the party on the withdrawal of Special Protection Group (SPG) cover to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and former party president Rahul Gandhi was rejected by Speaker Om Birla, Chowdhury raised the issue in the Zero Hour.
Supporting the demand of the Congress, DMK member TR Baalu said removing the SPG cover from the Gandhis has put their lives under threat. “The government should provide SPG protection to them,” Baalu said.
Adhir Chowdhury said the family faces threat to life and the cover by the elite security organisation should not have been withdrawn.
The Congress leader said the previous NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee also did not remove the SPG cover of the Gandhis. He wondered the ‘conspiracy’ of the government behind removing the SPG cover.
Both Congress and DMK members walked out of the House on the issue of removing SPG cover from Gandhis.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said Chowdhury cannot raise the issue in Zero Hour as he had not given notice in this regard.
The government has replaced the SPG security cover given to the family of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated by LTTE terrorists May 21, 1991, by the Z-plus security of the CRPF.
PTI