Ex-Kashmiri CMs lose special security cover

Srinagar: The Jammu & Kashmir administration ordered the Additional Director General of Police in the state to cut down the Special Security Group (SSG) protection provided to former chief ministers after the Security Review, and Coordination Committee (SRCC) recommended reducing it to the minimum, The Indian Express reported. The SRCC analyses the threat perception of important leaders in J&K.

The J&K Home Department's order said that reduce the posted strength of SSG to the bare minimum, preferably headed by DySP for maintaining continuity. A "suitable number of personnel" should be posted in the security wing of the J&K Police Close Protection Team.

Remaining to be distributed to other wings while all resources, including vehicles, access control gadgets etc., of the SSG, were to be transferred to the security wing, the order said.

The move will affect SSG security cover provided to leaders Farooq Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. While the former two will continue receiving protection from National Security Guards, the latter would only have Z-Plus category security.

Henceforth, their security will be burdened by J&K Police's security wing instead of SSG. Though the order does not mandate the strength of the force, it is believed to be not more than 50 personnel as it would be led by a police officer not higher than Deputy Superintendent, TIE reports.

The SSG Act was amended after the abrogation of J&K. Through the amendment, the clause in the Act that mandated security to former CMs and their families was removed. However, the incumbent CM and family will be guarded.

The PDP reacted to the move, saying the government does not care about the lives of people in J&K. The party asked to compare the situation in J&K with the security breach that happened during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Punjab. In J&K, there are attacks, targeted killings, etc. But these moves would not deter the party from speaking for the people, it said.