The gun-wielding and ever-alert “black cat commandoes” of the National Security Guard (NSG) of the central police forces, one would often see around Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, will not be visible shortly.
The Union home ministry has decided to replace NSG commandoes with Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commandoes for providing security to several VIPs across the country, including Naidu.
“The responsibility for VIP security will transition from the National Security Guard (NSG) to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). This change, will affect the protection of nine Z-plus category VIPs currently under NSG guard,” sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said.
However, it will take a couple of months for the replacement of the NSG commandoes with the CRPF personnel, sources added.
Apart from Naidu, the leaders whose security will be changed from the NSG to the CRPF are: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, former UP chief minister Mayawati, Union home minister Rajnath Singh, veteran leader L K Advani, former Assam chief minster Sarbananda Sonowal, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh, senior former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah.
