In a strategic reshuffle, the Union Government has disbanded the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF’s) Parliament Duty Group (PDG) and merged its personnel into the VIP Security Group (VSG). The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an order, officially “changing the nomenclature” of the 1,400-strong PDG to VSG.
This development comes after the MHA’s earlier directive this month to transfer CRPF battalion number 190, previously stationed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district for anti-Naxal operations, to bolster the VIP Security unit. The battalion, comprising over 1,000 personnel, will now strengthen the VSG to ensure comprehensive security coverage for VIPs.
The Central Reserve Police Group VIP security wing is presently providing protection to more than 200 people, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Gandhi family of the Congress comprising Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra among others.
“The task of the VIP security wing is expanding every day. With a new battalion and the PDG, its strength has gone up to more than 8,000 personnel,” a senior CRPF officer told PTI.
The PDG was withdrawn from the Parliament House in May last year after the job was handed over to the CISF.
It was informally linked with the VIP security wing since its removal from Parliament, but its manpower will be utilised for the protection of high-risk dignitaries after the formal order received on Tuesday. “The force rendered its duty with absolute dedication and without any error at Parliament, but it still bore the brunt of the major security breach that took place in 2023. It was an unfortunate exit for the CRPF from this iconic duty theatre,” a senior officer of the PDG said.
On December 13, 2023 — the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack — two persons jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow smoke from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by the MPs.
Last year in October, the Union government had ordered the complete withdrawal of the counter-terrorist commando force NSG from VIP security duties and handing over its nine “high-risk” VIPs to the CRPF. In addition, the Ministry of Home Affairs had also sanctioned a fresh battalion of specially trained personnel, recently withdrawn from Parliament security duties, to be attached to the CRPF VIP security wing.
The plan to relieve NSG from VIP security tasks had been in the making since 2012 when NSG commanders foresaw an event where simultaneous terror attacks could be witnessed at one time on multiple centres in the country and the commandos would have to be rushed in different directions.
