“Exempted”: What Home Ministry Said On RTI Over Government Security Cover For RSS Chief
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s security was upgraded from the “Z-Plus” category to the Advanced Security Liaison, or ASL protocol, on August 16. The change brought his security level on par with that of Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
In a Right To Information (RTI) request filed by Timeline regarding the details behind the security upgrade for the chief of the RSS, the ideological parent of the BJP, was sought.
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The RTI posed two questions: why the ASL drill had been added to Bhagwat’s security and by which provision Bhagwat, a private citizen who does not hold any public offices, was provided with the Z-Plus security.
In response to Timeline’s request, the response from the Home Ministry to the RTI stated that the information sought for the above two questions is “exempted” under Section 8(1)(g) of the RTI Act, 2005.
The RTI response Timeline received.
The stated section in the RTI Act, 2005, deals with information, the disclosure of which would endanger the life or physical safety of any person or identify the source of information or assistance given in confidence for law enforcement or security purposes.
Currently, only ten individuals are covered by the Z plus security provided by personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Some of the key individuals who receive Z Plus security with ASL include Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, and a few others. The extra ASL protection is given to some of these individuals based on a threat analysis. Notably, all the above individuals hold public offices.
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Z Plus security is the highest category of security in the country, which is often given to those holding high positions within the government.
The chief of the RSS was reportedly given Z Plus security based on a fresh threat analysis report submitted by the Intelligence Bureau to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
