Jammu and Kashmir police has downsized the security covered provided to legislators from Jammu while the security cover enjoyed by Kashmiri legislators will be reviewed soon, a formal police communiqué reveals. The move was prompted by the change of at least 25 legislators’ ministerial status.
The police, as per the communiqué, will also to go for a fresh security review of Kashmir-based legislators to take a call about enhancing or thinning their security cover. Citing toppling of PDP-BJP government as a reason for its move, the police however, stressed that security of the speaker Legislative Assembly Nirmal Singh will remain intact.
According to formal communiqué issued by the inspector general of police Jammu zone, to all the senior superintendents of police (SSPs) of the region, after the imposition of Governor’s rule in J&K, all the members of legislative assembly falls under the status of MLA and MLCs, except speaker of the Assembly, Nirmal Singh.
“They (MLAs, MLCs) are entitled for the security as per the categorization fixed by the security headquarters J&K. You (SSPs) are directed to withdraw the guards, escorts and personal security officers (PSOs) deployed over and above the categorisation with MLAs, and MLCs from your respective districts immediately and a compliance report be furnished to police headquarters Jammu within two days,” reads the official letter issued by IGP Jammu zone on July 11, 2018.
Since Governor has not dissolved the Assembly, the security cover of the speaker of Legislative Assembly would remain unchanged.
In Jammu, BhartiyaJanata Party (BJP) has largest number of legislators. The party has 25 MLAs and 11 MLCs. A police source said that the step has been taken to utilise the service of policemen who were guarding Jammu based MLAs and MLCs, for other purposes.
“Above all there is a set categorisation for providing a security to a minister, MLA and MLC. There are people ware neither MLA nor MLC but still have the security cover because of their threat perception,” the source said. “But an MLA can’t have a security cover of a minister.”
He said that the police had to provide security cover to the newly appointed advisors to the Governor. “The Governor’s security cover too has been enhanced as his movement has increased,” the source said.
The police, however, said that the legislators putting up in Kashmir will continue to have their existing cover till the review is done. “Kashmir is totally different place than Jammu. For a time being, legislators of various political parties will have their security cover intact as there is more threat perception to them than those staying in Jammu,” a police official said.
Additional director general of police (ADGP) Security, Law and Order, Muneer Khan said that the police will review the security of Kashmir based legislators. “We shall see who would require more guards and whose cover needs to be slimmed. But this all is subject to a thorough security review that will take place soon,” Khan told Greater Kashmir.