deepak pace
DJ_DEE
Guess how many policemen and commandos guard the Punjab chief minister and his family? Around 1,000! Following the Mumbai terror attacks, when the nation has erupted in anger against VIPs keeping a big chunk of our elite commandos engaged for their own security, some startling facts have tumbled out from police sources in the state.
Here’s a sampler. Each Punjab minister has 20 to 50 gunmen for protection. The number of gunmen for one MLA starts from five and can go up to 60. For instance, Manjinder Singh Kang, Akali Dal MLA from Beas, has about 60 police personnel for security. As much as 12% of the state’s police force is deployed for VIP security. Overall, about 900 leaders and 350 officers have 7,284 gunmen.
There has been no attack on any officer in Punjab after 1993 and no attack on any politician since 1995. But that doesn’t prevent each member of slain Punjab CM Beant Singh’s family from getting separate security. Punjab’s leader of opposition, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, has over 30 police personnel for her security cover. Congress state general secretary, Parminder Singh Pinky, and Youth Akali Dal president, Kiranbir Singh Kang, have more than 24 cops each guarding them.
The ministers are given anywhere between 20 and 50 gunmen for protection. Surprisingly, the police do not have proper records showing how many personnel are attached with which VIP. Depending on the clout they have in the establishment, politicians manage security guards from various police wings like Punjab Armed Police,
Indian Reserve Battalion, Punjab Commando police and 82-Battalion. In fact, not just VIPs and high officials, even people in the media have been lavished with armed guards.
A total of 194 gunmen are attached with mediapersons out of whom 139 are with employees of just one media group. The scenario is such that even some Punjab industrialists get paid security from police. Sources claimed many influential people in the state are still riding Punjab’s terrorism days persecution complex to bask in the glory of an elaborate security cover for them. In defence, CM Parkash Singh Badal’s media advisor, H S Bains, said, ‘‘The CM and his son are covered under Z-security as per threat perception indicated by MHA.’’
Here’s a sampler. Each Punjab minister has 20 to 50 gunmen for protection. The number of gunmen for one MLA starts from five and can go up to 60. For instance, Manjinder Singh Kang, Akali Dal MLA from Beas, has about 60 police personnel for security. As much as 12% of the state’s police force is deployed for VIP security. Overall, about 900 leaders and 350 officers have 7,284 gunmen.
There has been no attack on any officer in Punjab after 1993 and no attack on any politician since 1995. But that doesn’t prevent each member of slain Punjab CM Beant Singh’s family from getting separate security. Punjab’s leader of opposition, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, has over 30 police personnel for her security cover. Congress state general secretary, Parminder Singh Pinky, and Youth Akali Dal president, Kiranbir Singh Kang, have more than 24 cops each guarding them.
The ministers are given anywhere between 20 and 50 gunmen for protection. Surprisingly, the police do not have proper records showing how many personnel are attached with which VIP. Depending on the clout they have in the establishment, politicians manage security guards from various police wings like Punjab Armed Police,
Indian Reserve Battalion, Punjab Commando police and 82-Battalion. In fact, not just VIPs and high officials, even people in the media have been lavished with armed guards.
A total of 194 gunmen are attached with mediapersons out of whom 139 are with employees of just one media group. The scenario is such that even some Punjab industrialists get paid security from police. Sources claimed many influential people in the state are still riding Punjab’s terrorism days persecution complex to bask in the glory of an elaborate security cover for them. In defence, CM Parkash Singh Badal’s media advisor, H S Bains, said, ‘‘The CM and his son are covered under Z-security as per threat perception indicated by MHA.’’
