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This is an archive article published on April 7, 2000

High profile security a craze, says Advani

NEW DELHI, APRIL 6: Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani today made a strong case for making the VIP security system in the country unobtrusiv...

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NEW DELHI, APRIL 6: Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani today made a strong case for making the VIP security system in the country unobtrusive rather than a `status symbol’.

"The drill laid for the black cat commandos make the VIP security conspicuous and we are consciously making it appear more conspicuous for different reasons," Advani said, while addressing a seminar on `VIP Security-Emerging Challenges’ at the 15th raising day of the Special Protection Group (SPG) here.

He said the political status of an individual had largely come to depend on the

category of security he or she enjoys. The greatest virtue of a politician is his accessability to the people but this is no more so because of the craze for a high profile security.

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He also said a special team has been set up in the ministry to review the threat perception of individuals and it has suggested that the personal security should not be misconstrued as VIP security. "On the basis of its study, security of some of the politicians and officers has been downsized and the exercise was still on," he informed. "There is a need for pinpointing the exact security requirement of an individual, he added.

He also referred to the problems being faced by the security personnel in various states accompanying political leaders and said he had reports that the state governments concerned were not providing due facilities to them. "There are also reports of people given security misusing the security personnel and taking odd jobs from them," he added.

He said it was strange that the dress of the black cat commandos holds a great attraction for those seeking security though this force had been set up as an anti-terrorist force.

The Home Minister said the government had a greater responsibility in providing security to the common man which is being curtailed due to the security cover provided to individuals merely on the basis of the positions they held, whether they were officers or politicians.

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He said that of the 55,000-strong force of the Delhi police, 5000 alone were working as personal security personnel.

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