New Delhi

April 22, 2004

EC'S ORDER IRKS SECURITY AGENCIES

A feud has broken out between the Election Commission and the Home Ministry over a recent Commission order putting the top political leaders to security risk.

The order requires inclusion of expenses on barricading of the stage for the public meetings and the bullet-proof cars used by any campaigners in the expense limit allowed to the candidates.

The Home Ministry wanted the Commission to relax the order at least in the case of some 35 politicians who are in the "Z plus" category of security protection but the Commission declined, stating that the request can be considered only after the current Lok Sabha elections are over and not
now.

The most threatened VVIPs are Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, Leader of Opposition Sonia Gandhi, the Amethi candidate Rahul Gandhi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha, Andhra chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and the list goes on and on.

Bullet-proof cars and high security barricades cost a lot and the security agencies cannot compromise on this as it puts their protectees under serious risk, the Home Ministry sought to explain while pleading that the candidates have very limited budget and cannot afford to bear these costs.

The security agencies are peeved at the Commission refusing to see the logic while the candidates make only the low-budget arrangements for the protected politicians.

Since the Home Ministry did not want to fight with the Election Commission, the issue was taken up only informally. The security agencies are now pressing the Ministry to officially impress upon the Commission that the government agencies assess and provide security to the VVIPs, the
expenses should be borne by the government and not by the candidates.

The Home Ministry sources point out that Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani had declined to use a bullet-proof vehicle during his month-long "yatra" only because of the high costs involved and the security agencies were always desperate at anything happening to him for which the blame
will come on them since he happens to be a "Z plus" security protectee.

The sources also point out that Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Yerran Naidu would not have been wounded badly if he had been travelling in a bullet-proof car. The running cost of a bullet-proof car is almost four times that of ordinary car.

Security agencies also argue that if terrorists attack on VVIP takes place, each one would wash off their responsibilities, quoting the election commission orders. Of course each would blame it on the other. Omar Abdulla and Yerrun Naidu escaped the militants attack. If there was any elimination of a political personality the security agencies would be blamed. To avoid such embarrassing situation, agencies are wanting to alert the EC and the Government the critical position they are in.