GUWAHATI, Nov 11 - Congress workers today staged a protest in the city against the Centre�s decision to withdraw SPG security cover to party president Sonia Gandhi and senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Congress workers, led by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora, staged dharna for over an hour this morning at the TC Point, Guwahati Club.
Speaking on the occasion, Bora accused the Narendra Modi-led government of adopting a vindictive attitude towards Opposition leaders.
He said the SPG security cover of the Gandhi family has been withdrawn in violation of the existing norms and despite the fact that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra face threats to their lives.
�We strongly oppose this move of the BJP government,� said the APCC chief.
Bora said the government had also recently withdrawn the SPG security cover of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
Other senior party leaders, including former State ministers Rakibul Hussain and Ajanta Neog, also spoke on the occasion.
A delegation of APCC leaders later went to the Raj Bhavan and handed over a memorandum to Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi for forwarding to President Ram Nath Kovind.
�... former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was brutally killed during her office tenure by the security guard (sic). Thereafter, government of India decided for SPG security coverage for the Prime Minister of India and accordingly SPG security coverage was provided to Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India. But while Rajiv Gandhi was not in office of Prime Minister (sic) during 1990, the then Prime Minister VP Singh suddenly withdrawn (sic) the SPG security coverage of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. As a result Rajiv Gandhi was also killed by extremist by using human bomb in the year 1991,� stated the memorandum.
It added that the SPG security procedure was modified during the time of the Atal Behari Vajpayee government and rules were framed to provide SPG cover to the former Prime Ministers and the family members (wife, sons and daughters) of former Prime Ministers.
�But few days back, all on (sic) a sudden SPG security coverage entitled by (sic) former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was withdrawn. Thereafter, very recently the SPG security coverage provided to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are (sic) withdrawn without any reason... we think this is nothing but a (sic) political vendetta and cruelty of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to Gandhi family... we urge upon you to intervene into this most serious matter and restore the SPG security coverage to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi and desist the government from such narrow and nasty political vendetta and cruelty to the family member (sic) of Gandhi Parivar,� said the memorandum.
