New Delhi, August 26: The Modi government has decided to withdraw the Special Protection Group (SPG) from former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s security detail, according to reports. Manmohan Singh’s security has been downgraded after fresh security assessments by the Cabinet Secretariat and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Singh will now be provided with a "Z+" category CRPF cover.

The SPG has over 3000 personnel deputed from Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The elite group provides security cover to the Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers and members of their families, and extremely high-profile politicians. Similar security was also withdrawn from former prime ministers HD Deve Gowda and VP Singh. Manmohan Singh Lashes Out at Narendra Modi Govt, Says 'Rising Intolerance, Mob Violence Propelled by Hatred Will Damage the Polity of India'.

After Singh's SPG cover withdrawal, now only PM Narendra Modi, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and her children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have the SPG category security. Singh’s daughters had given up SPG cover voluntarily after he demitted office in 2014. Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's foster daughter had also relinquished her SPG cover. Manmohan Singh Elected to Rajya Sabha Unopposed From Rajasthan.

While the SPG was established in 1985 after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the elite security group was directed to provide protection to the Prime Minister of India after Parliament passed the SPG Act in 1988. At the time, the Act did not include former Prime Ministers. In 1989, VP Singh's government withdrew SPG protection to the outgoing PM Rajiv Gandhi.

After Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991, the SPG Act was amended, and the SPG protection was extended to former Prime Ministers. "The current security cover review is a periodical and professional exercise based on threat perception that is purely based on professional assessment by security agencies. Dr Manmohan Singh continues to have a Z+ security cover," the MHA said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 26, 2019 09:50 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).