The Union Home Ministry granted Z category security cover to Opposition’s presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha. An adequate number of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel has been deployed, as per the order released on Thursday.
‘Z’ category is a security detail of 55 personnel, including 4-6 NSG commandos and police personnel.
Meanwhile, the NDA’s presidential candidate, Droupadi Murmu is set to file her nomination papers on Friday for the election that is due on July 18, this year.
The Centre accorded a Z+ security cover of CRPF commandos to Murmu on Wednesday. The armed squad took over the security of Murmu, 64, early on Wednesday morning.
BJP president J P Nadda on Tuesday announced the candidature of Murmu, a party leader from Odisha who served as Jharkhand governor, at a press conference, night following a meeting of the party’s parliamentary board, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders. Officials said soon after this announcement, the Union home ministry directed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to deploy its VIP protection team to take charge of Murmu’s security.
A threat perception security report generated by central security agencies for the NDA presidential candidate formed the basis for the home ministry’s decision, the officials said.
A dozen-odd opposition parties declared Sinha as their candidate on Tuesday, the same day the BJP declared Droupadi Murmu as its candidate for the post of the President.
Terming it a contest between two ideologies and not individuals, the Opposition’s presidential candidate and former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday said that the leaders of the other ideology are intent on throttling the Constitution and “Making a mockery of the people’s mandate in elections.”
If elected, he said, “I shall not allow the independence and integrity of democratic institutions to be weaponised against political opponents, as is happening now.”
“The ongoing attacks on the federal structure of the Constitution, whereby the government is attempting to rob the state governments of their legitimate rights and powers, will be treated as totally unacceptable. I shall also use the authority of my office to check the menacing power of ill-gotten money that is killing the soul of Indian democracy and making a mockery of people’s mandate in elections,” Sinha told media persons here.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday praised NDA’s Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu for her “understanding of the problems on the ground” and dubbed her vision for India’s development as “extraordinary”.
The Prime Minister made the remarks after he met Murmu in New Delhi. After Prime Minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also met the NDA’s Presidential candidate.
Murmu will also be meeting several Union ministers and veteran leaders before filing her nomination for the post of President on Friday.
Sharing pictures of his meeting with Murmu on Twitter, Prime Minister Modi wrote, “Met Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji. Her Presidential nomination has been appreciated across India by all sections of society. Her understanding of grassroots problems and vision for India’s development is outstanding.”
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