Weeks after being stripped of the highest-level Special Protection Group (SPG) cover, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra last week suffered an unprecedented security breach at her residence in Delhi.
As revealed by Priyanka Gandhi’s office on Monday, a car with five passengers including a girl, drove into the house of the Congress General Secretary in central Delhi’s Lodhi Estate.
According to media reports, the group walked straight to the garden and requested for a photo to be taken with Priyanka.
It is learnt that the family, who claimed to have come all the way from Uttar Pradesh, had not taken an appointment prior to their meeting with the Congress chief’s daughter.
It is alleged that this was one of the worst security breaches as the guards not only let the car drive in but also did not check the identity of the passengers, NDTV reported.
The security breach comes weeks after the Special Protection Group (SPG) protection given to the Gandhi family, including Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and her children Rahul and Priyanka was withdrawn by the Centre on November 8.
The Congress leaders are placed under ‘Z plus’ security provided by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
The ‘Z plus’ security means the Gandhis will be guarded by around 100 CRPF personnel. According to procedures laid down by the SPG Act, 1988, Gandhis’ SPG security cover was renewed annually after a review of threats faced by them.
The SPG was set up in 1985 after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.
Parliament passed the SPG Act in 1988, dedicating the group to protecting the Prime Minister alone. Later, the Act was amended for providing security to former prime ministers and their immediate family members.
Special Protection Group is a 3000-strong “zero error” security force. Personnel for the SPG are drawn from various Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) on deputation and it is a highly-trained unit equipped with some of the most modern weapons, gadgets and vehicles.
Following the move, Congress workers protested outside the residence of Amit Shah, raised slogans against the Union Home Minister and the BJP government on Friday evening.
The Congress party slammed the government for removing SPG cover of the Gandhi family, terming it as a “sinister” and “vindictive” move.