Govt orders withdrawal of NSG commandos from VIP security, CRPF to replace

The Union government has ordered the complete withdrawal of the counter-terrorist commando force NSG from VIP security duties and handing over its nine "high-risk" VIPs to the CRPF by the next month, official sources said Wednesday. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also sanctioned a fresh battalion of specially trained personnel, recently withdrawn from Parliament security duties, to be attached to the CRPF VIP security wing. Sources said the protection of nine 'Z plus' category VIPs being guarded by the 'black cat' commandos of the National Security Guard (NSG)-- Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, his predecessor and BSP supremo Mayawati, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh, veteran BJP leader and former deputy prime minister L K Advani, Union shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal, BJP leader and ex Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) president Ghulam Nabi Azad, National ...