Parliament passes Special Protection (Amendment) Bill
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The Rajya Sabha (Upper House) approved the bill after Congress and other parties staged a walkout. The Lok Sabha (Lower House) passed the SPG (Amendment) Bill on November 27.
The Parliament on Tuesday passed the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill 2019 that aims to provide elite security only to the incumbent prime minister and his family members. Earlier, the bill provided security to former prime ministers and their family members as well.
The Rajya Sabha (Upper House) approved the bill after Congress and other parties staged a walkout. The Lok Sabha (Lower House) passed the SPG (Amendment) Bill on November 27.
Congress opposed the bill, citing the security breach at the residence of party's General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra after a car drove into her residence without permission last week.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the security breach at Priyanka's residence was a "coincidence" and assured the parliamentarians that the Bill was not an act of "political" vendetta.
Home Minister Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha: Security cannot be made a status symbol. Why demand only SPG? SPG cover is meant for only the 'head of the state', we cannot be giving it to everyone. We don't oppose one family, we are against dynasty politics. https://t.co/Frb1HH8rqo
— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2019
Shah also added that the security of Gandhis was downgraded on the basis of threat analysis and even before the bill was brought. Earlier, the SPG protection was withdrawn from Gandhis November 8.
Home Minister Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha on SPG Bill: This is the 5th amendment in the SPG Act. This amendment is not brought in by keeping Gandhis in mind, but, one thing that I can say for sure is that the previous 4 amendments were done by keeping only one family in mind. pic.twitter.com/BCRNZmbea2
— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2019
"Security cannot be made a status symbol... SPG cover is meant for only the 'head of the state', we cannot be giving it to everyone. We don't oppose one family, we are against dynasty politics," Shah said in an indirect reference to the Gandhi family. Taking a jibe at the Gandhi family, Shah also said the amendments to the bill have not been done to keep in mind the Gandhis but previous four amendments to the bill had been done keeping in mind only one family.
The Bill provides SPG cover to the prime minister and his immediate family members who are residing with him at his official residence. It will also provide security to the former prime minister and their family members at the residence allotted to them five years till the date he ceases to hold the office.
The original Bill that was enacted in 1988, provided proximate security to the prime minister and his immediate family members. However, later amendments extended the act to former prime ministers as well. The last amendment in 2003 mentioned that former PMs will be given security one year after they vacate PMO and after that security cover will be provided on the basis of analysing threat perception.
(with inputs from agencies)
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