Government has decided to progressively relieve CRPF from VIP duties: Hansraj Ahir

The Union Home Ministry has relieved the paramilitary forces CRPF and ITBP from VVIP protection and given the responsibility to their sister agencies CISF and NSG that are already in the job for long, MoS Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir said.

In his reply to the debate on CRPF's VIP duty in Lok Sabha, MoS Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir said: "To ensure uniformity and standardization in the specialized task of personal protection duties, the Government has decided to progressively relieve CRPF from personal protection duties and assign this task to CISF and NSG,".

At present, in the SPG about 30% of officers are from CRPF on deputation and in NSG it is about 11%.

The CRPF has around 75 lists of VVIP security including BJP President Amit Shah, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Dineshar Sharma and Reliance Chief Mukesh Ambani. The force was roped into VVIP protection in 2014. The year NSG had shown its reluctance to provide its black cat commando's on personal protection deployment.

In contrast, ITBP only protects 17 high profile dignitaries including a dozen of apex court judges, politicians such as Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and CPI-M MLA Yusuf Tarigami.

ITBP commandos, however, have been on VVIP security deployment since early 1990's.

The NSG protects 14 high-risk category VVIP's after black cats were removed from RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's protection.

NSG's Special Ranger's Group (SRG), with personnel drawn on deputation from Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and State Police forces, are deployed for guarding high-risk VIPs/VVIPs.