The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has raised concerns over Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s alleged violations of security protocols during his international trips.
In a letter sent to Mr Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday, CRPF VVIP Security Chief Sunil June stated that the leader was not taking his security cover “seriously,” often traveling abroad without notifying the authorities.
The communication cited several of Mr Gandhi’s overseas visits, including Italy (December 30–January 9), Vietnam (March 12–17), Dubai (April 17–23), Qatar (June 11–18), London (June 25–July 6), and Malaysia (September 4–8). According to the CRPF, such unnotified movements breach the Yellow Book security protocols governing his protection.
Neither Mr Gandhi, Mr Kharge, nor the Congress party have yet issued a response.
Rahul Gandhi has Z+ category security with Advanced Security Liaison (ASL) — highest cover, which assigns around 55 personnel including National Security Guard commandos. Under ASL, advance teams liaise with the local police and intelligence units to secure places before his visit.
This is the second time that the CRPF has raised concerns. In 2022, the force mentioned that Gandhi had broken security protocols 113 times since 2020, including while in Delhi for the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The next year, the Congress said there were failures in Kashmir when Gandhi was surrounded by a sudden crowd and brought to a standstill for close to half an hour.
The party accused the party in December 2022 when the Yatra visited Delhi. It recently happened during a Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar when Gandhi had another brush with danger when an unidentified individual hugged and kissed him as he rode on a two-wheeler. Security officials intervened in time, overpowered the intruder.
In 2019, the Union government diluted the security escort of the Gandhi family, withdrawing SPG cover that had been operational for almost three decades and substituting it with CRPF cover.
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