Smriti Irani may get Z security

Union minister for Human Resource Development, Smriti Zubin Irani is likely to be given the highest security cover protocol used in the country with the Home ministry mulling up gradation of her  security cover to Z category from the Y category that she currently enjoys.

Home ministry officials said that the need for increasing the cover of Irani was felt after inputs were received that some pro-Dalit groups might try to harm her in the wake of the recent suicide of Dalit student Rohith Vermula.

“Inputs developed in wake of the recent incident of the suicide of the Dalit student suggests that some pro-Dalits groups may try to breach the cordon around Irani with the intention to “give her a message”. Hence we are mulling over the possibility of increasing her security cover to Z for the time being”, a ministry official said.

As of now only a handful of leaders and officials including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Ministers of State Kiren Rijiju and Jitendra Singh, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and BJP president Amit Shah enjoy Z category security.

According to Home Ministry officials the security cover of an individual can either be increased on the person’s own request or after an assessment of the security agencies.

“Once a request for increasing the security cover is received, it is forwarded to two committees which decide on the security level. One is the Protection Review Group and the other is the Security Categorisation Committee.  Suo motto too, these committee decide on upgrading or decreasing the security of an individual”, the official said.