As political drama continues to unfold in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the assembly elections, a new twist emerges with signals of the BJP-led Union government going soft on Amar Singh, the Samajwadi Party lawmaker who is in the midst of the great Yadav feud.
The Union home ministry under Rajnath Singh has decided to restore the Z category security cover to Amar Singh, after removing it in June last year.
With the home ministry's move, Amar Singh becomes the second SP leader after Mulayam Singh Yadav to be granted such a high grade security cover by the Centre.
The second highest security cover being given to Amar Singh will make him eligible for round the clock commandos of the central armed police forces not only giving him personal security but security at his office and residence also.
Singh had enjoyed Z category security during the UPA-II regime .
Interestingly, the MHA had downgraded Amar Singh's security cover multiple times last year before removing him from the high category security list. While Removing his CISF security cover last year, the MHA had asked the state government to do a fresh threat assessment. Amar Singh had protested the move but the MHA did not budge then.
Central security cover is granted by the MHA to political leaders among others after undertaking a complete threat assessment both by central and state agencies.
Incidentally, the Modi government's soft stance towards Amar Singh has come at a time when UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav wants the Rajya Sabha MP out of his Samajwadi Party. However, Amar Singh continues to remain a close confidant of Mulayam even as the father-son feud has spilled over barely six months after the MP returned to the party fold in May last year, six years after he was expelled.
