Crossfire: Gandhi family often violated SPG security code, assert officials

New Delhi, Nov 8  A high-decibel controversy broke out on Friday over the withdrawal of Special Protection Group cover to members of the first family of the Indian National Congress.

Sources revealed here that contradictory to the hype being created over 'vendetta politics', on a number of occasions the Gandhis had made 'undesirable' remarks against SPG and also charged the elite force with collecting their 'personal and confidential information.'

"Since May 2014, Priyanka Gandhi has often levelled allegations that SPG officials were collecting her personal and confidential information and sharing it with unauthorised persons. She even threatened to drag top officials of the SPG to court," the sources said here.
Sources also said that Rahul Gandhi, during his visit to Banaskantha in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Gujarat in 2017, violated security norms himself and that could have endangered his life.

He traveled in a non-BR car 'against the security advice of SPG.' There was stone pelting on the non-BR private car of the protectee in which a SPG PSO was injured.
"In many of the 143 foreign visits, Rahul Gandhi had shared the travel itinerary at the eleventh hour preventing the SPG officers from accompanying him," the sources added.

Similar faultline has been allegedly found with Congress president Sonia Gandhi also, sources said."In fact, Sonia Gandhi undertook 13 unscheduled visits to various places within India between May 2014 and May 2019). Sonia also used 'non bullet-resistant' cars. Sonia Gandhi also did not take SPG personnel on 24 of her foreign visits," the source said.  

Rahul Gandhi, during his 2005-2014, travelled in non-Bullet Resistant vehicles on 18 visits to different parts of the country."He dragged SPG's good name on a few occasions in the last five years in his public speeches, which were certainly undesirable."Former Congress chief has been on 1,892 occasions in a non-BR vehicle in Delhi. "This amounts to almost one incident everyday".Moreover, the former Congress president even travelled on the roof of vehicle on a few occasions during internal tours in violation of the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act and security advices.

Much to the chagrin of concerned officials and security agencies, since 2015 till May 2019, Priyanka Gandhi did not use SPG BR vehicles for her travel on 339 occasions within Delhi and on 64 occasions at other places in the country.Out of total 99 foreign visits that she has undertaken since 1991, she took SPG security cover only on 21 occasions and refused to take the security for other 78 visits, sources said.Big row has been triggered over government decision to withdraw SPG security cover for top Congress leaders.

"The SPG security cover cannot be a sense of entitlement. It is tax-payer's money," BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia told a private news channel.
"....We should leave it to the agencies to decide," he said.