Abhishek Banerjee Security: There was a stir in the politics of West Bengal when TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee was suddenly attacked by protesters in Sonarpur area. The TMC leader, who had come to meet the victims of post-poll violence, was not only thrown raw eggs but was also pushed. The security personnel showed promptness, made him wear a helmet and took him out safely. After this unexpected incident, everyone is curious to know what security cover Abhishek Banerjee currently has and who actually bears the expenses of this huge VIP security.

Abhishek’s Z+ security cut

The West Bengal government has made a major cut in his security after a high level meeting a few days ago. After a security review by the state government, the security of Z+ category, considered the highest, was withdrawn from TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Instead, they have now been provided with a very simple VIP category security arrangement, which is given at the lowest level of threat.

Know what are VIP security categories

In India, after assessing the threat to the life of any important person or VIP, mainly 5 different categories of security are given. These include X, Y, Y+, Z and finally the biggest Z+ security category. The most basic and common level of security in this entire system is called ‘X category’. Abhishek Banerjee has been removed from Z+ and now security is being provided under this general security cover, which is very limited.

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General X Category Security

Now let’s talk about what VIPs get under this general category. In total only 2 security personnel are deployed in this security circle. This small staff mainly includes a Personal Security Officer (PSO) who remains with the leader at all times. The entire responsibility of handling such basic security at the ground level and providing security to VIPs rests with the local police or security forces of the concerned state.

How many soldiers are there in other security categories?

If we talk about other categories, then Y category consists of 8 to 11 soldiers, in which 1 or 2 are commandos and the rest are policemen. Above this comes the Y+ category which has a staff of 11 to 15 soldiers and PSOs always accompany them. After this comes the heavy Z category in which 22 security personnel including commandos remain ready. Lastly comes Z+ security, which is available to only a few people in the country and more than 55 soldiers are deployed in it.

Who bears the expenses of VIP security?

There is always curiosity among the public about the expenditure of lakhs and crores of rupees on the security of an ordinary or high-profile VIP like Abhishek Banerjee. According to the rules, when intelligence agencies (IB and RAW) report a threat to the life of a leader or VIP, the central or state government itself bears the entire cost of that security. This money comes directly from the pockets of common taxpayers of the country, because the government is accountable for the safety of the citizens of the country.

Separate security rules on individual request

However, apart from the security provided at government expense, it also involves some special rules and exceptions. If any big industrialist, Bollywood celebrity or influential person demands protection from the government on his own free will, then the government investigates the intelligence report. If no real threat is found, the government provides them with a security guard, but the entire heavy bill has to be paid directly by the person personally.

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