Manmohan Singh's security cover downgraded

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's security has been downgraded after a security review by Ministry of Home Affairs on intelligence inputs.

New Delhi [India], Aug 26 : Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's security has been downgraded after a security review by Ministry of Home Affairs on intelligence inputs.

Intelligence report submitted to the MHA stated that Singh is not facing such a threat which would require security cover like Special protection Force (SPG).

After the withdrawal of Singh's SPG cover, only four politicians i.e. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her children Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, will be guarded by the elite force.

The SPG has a total strength of around 3000 officers. The elite force provides security cover to the Prime Minister and their families. Singh will now enjoy the CRPF and NSG security cover.

"The current security cover review is a periodical and professional exercise based on threat perception that is purely based on professional assessment by security agencies. Dr. Manmohan Singh continues to have a Z+ security cover," read a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The SPG was set up in 1985 after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The Parliament passed the SPG Act in 1988 dedicating the group to protecting the Prime Minister of India. At the time, the Act did not include former Prime Ministers.

When V.P. Singh came to power in 1989, his government withdrew SPG protection to Rajiv Gandhi.

After Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991 the SPG Act was amended, offering SPG protection to all former Prime Ministers and their families for a period of at least 10 years.

( With inputs from ANI )