New cover for Sonia after SPG reshuffle

NEW DELHI, April 5: About 30 Special Protection Group personnel attached to 10, Janpath have been replaced with a new team. The decision to ...

NEW DELHI, April 5: About 30 Special Protection Group personnel attached to 10, Janpath have been replaced with a new team. The decision to move the team out of 10, Janpath after years of their attachment was taken a few months ago, but implemented only last week.

Congress circles reacted to the decision with caution. "We only hope that this is not a politically motivated move. After all, the new team’s coming will also mean that there has to be fresh security management for Sonia Gandhi and other protectees," a Congress Working Committee member said.

Official sources, however, asserted that this was a routine transfer. "We transferred around 200 SPG personnel last year, and an almost equal number recently. Some of these people were sticking to one place beyond the ideal age profile — the 35-41 age group," SPG Director MR Reddy told The Indian Express. According to him, there had been changes in the SPG teams attached to others including Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

"In fact, when theservice was first initiated in 1985, then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi first devised it as a deputationist organisation with a maximum tenure of six years and our concern still remains to consistently improve the quality of service. And we do not want to do anything that will affect the quality of the service," Reddy said. "Some officers have remained at one place for ten years, while some have remained in the SPG even when they have touched 50. And we do not want this kind of relaxation that will have a bearing on the quality of security."