Bhubaneswar: Reduction of the security cover of Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik has triggered a political row amid a war of words between opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha.
Taking strong objection to the decision to downgrade the security level of the former Chief Minister from Z to Y category, senior BJD leader and former Minister Sanjay Das Burma said the state government must ensure there is no lapse in Naveen’s security.
“It is the government’s responsibility to ensure there is no compromise on the security of Naveen Patnaik, a five-time Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition. The decision to downgrade his security is regrettable,” he said.
Stating that the attitude of the government has baffled him, Das Burma expressed the hope that the decision to downgrade the BJD president’s security will be rolled back.
Reacting sharply to the BJD leader’s remarks, senior BJP leader and MLA Jayanarayan Mishra pointed out that when he was opposition leader, he personally requested the govt to withdraw his security detail.
Stating that the state government had acted within the applicable rules for LoP, Mishra sought to know as to why the BJD leader is demanding more security for Naveen.
“Security is provided as per rule to everyone. There are established criteria determining who receives Z or Y category security, and the government has simply followed those rules,” the BJP leader said.
Amid heated exchanges between BJD and BJP leaders, Director General of Police (DGP) Y B Khurania said the downgrading of security cover was part of a routine review process.
“The security adjustment was part of the standard operation procedure. It is a routine exercise and has no other reason or meaning,” he told media.
The state-level committee periodically assesses security requirements and makes adjustments based on field evaluations, the police chief said.
Also Read: Security Downgrade For Former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik
Notably, a high-level committee dealing with security issues concerning to important persons recommended the downgrade after recently reviewing the deployment for Naveen. The security level has been reduced from Z to Y category.
When he was CM, Naveen enjoyed Z category security with a battery of 200-odd personnel guarding him, his motorcade, his residence, and routes. Following BJD’s defeat, the personnel guarding the former CM were slashed to 45. Now, he will be getting only Y category security with 10 people, which will include a house guard, escort, and two PSOs.
It may be noted that the government has also removed the security of Naveen’s close aide V K Pandian, senior IPS officer D S Kutey, former Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) chairman Asit Tripathy.
A senior police official said that the security review is a routine process which is assessed every three months and the deployment is sanctioned based on the threat perception.
