Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy introduced a bill intends to make amendments to the Special Protection Group Act, 1988.
The amendments will make two key changes: SPG will provide security only to Prime Minister of the day and immediate family members residing with him or her. The other key change is that former Prime Ministers will be guarded by SPG commandos only for a period of 5 years after demitting office.
Immediate family members of former PMs will get SPG security as well as long as they are residing with the former PM at the allotted residence. The family will lose the security once the former PM loses it as well. This technically means if an ex-PM dies, his immediate family members would not be entitled to SPG cover.
The SPG Act amendment bill comes days after the Centre removed SPG cover for the Gandhi family. Sonia Gandhi, son Rahul and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were up until now being protected by the SPG. Earlier, SPG cover was also removed for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
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