Kerala spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi faces threat from "external forces", an intelligence bureau assessment noted, prompting the Union home ministry to swing into action and accord her Z category security.
While the Security agencies do not elaborate on the "external source" threat to the spiritual guru, sources say that there could be inimical forces active in neighbouring small island countries like Maldives and Sri Lanka where radical Islam groups are trying to find shelter. The emergence of support to the Islamic State also gives reasons to the intelligence agencies to believe that these groups would choose soft targets to create communal disharmony and terror .
The move also comes at a time when the BJP, which is running the government at the Centre, has been working overtime to build its political influence in the southern state which has oscillated between the rule of the Left parties and the Congress.
Sources in intelligence agencies said this threat to Amritanandamayi could be from elements and groups based in certain neighbouring countries and radical elements in the state, and such threats could not be taken lightly. Recently, top BJP leaders had visited her at the ashram.
From next week, the commandos of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), will be deployed for the security duties at Amritanandamayi ashram in Kollam. More than two dozen CRPF personnel will guard her and escort her during her travel at any given time.
The Central paramilitary force, which is battling insurgency in northeast and the Naxal menace in left wing extremism affected states, has been undertaking VIP security duties as well. The spiritual leader who made an entry into the VIP group enjoying Z category cover before Amritanandamayi was Baba Ramdev.
The security cover is divided into four main categories—X, Y, Z, Z plus. Recently Yogi Adityanath was given Z plus security cover after he was elected the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Adityanath, like other chief ministers, has been given protection by the National Security Guards. In a bid to lessen the burden of the NSG, which is an elite counter terror force, the government roped in central paramilitary forces like CRPF for VIP security duties.