Centre accords VIP security to Anupriya Patel, Roopa Ganguly

Roopa Ganguly and Anupriya Patel

Union minister Anupriya Patel and BJP MP from West Bengal Roopa Ganguly have been accorded VIP security cover of armed paramilitary commandos by the Centre.

A senior home ministry official said Patel, the Minister of State for Health, has been accorded the 'Y' category security cover while Ganguly has been given the 'X' category cover.

Central security agencies had prepared a threat assessment report for the two women leaders after which the Union home ministry decided to accord the cover, he said.

Patel, a Lok Sabha MP from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, would be getting a security cover by about ten commandos and about half of them move with her every time she travels in her home state.

Under the X-category cover, accorded to Ganguly, a contingent of about half-a-dozen commandos will provide her security and about 2-3 would move with her every time she travels in West Bengal. She is a nominated Rajya Sabha MP.

"There have been incidents in the past where attempts have been made to harm and attack the two leaders in their respective states. The security cover has already taken charge of the new task," the official said.

The task of providing security to the women leaders has been entrusted to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which has a dedicated VIP security unit in its establishment. The commandos of this CRPF unit are equipped with sophisticated arms and gadgets to ensure security to the protectee.

The country's largest paramilitary, with about 3-lakh personnel in its ranks, secures prominent VIPs like BJP President Amit Shah, RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani, his wife Nita Ambani and Kerala-based spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi among over 70 such VIPs.