DRESSING DOWN BY PM: Delhi's Police Commissioner T R Kakkar bows his head as Prime Minister I K Gujral gives a piece of advise on how to handle security, at Delhi airport on Wednesday.

How dare you stray into the VVIP route?

NEW DELHI, May 14: The entire gamut of SPG (Special Protection Group) operations will be reviewed at a special meeting convened by Prime Minister I K Gujral on Monday.

The Prime Minister had yesterday directed a review of his security in the wake of brutal police assault on a South Delhi resident who had strayed in PM's route on May 9. Gujral has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Gujral was seen having a word with the Delhi Police Commissioner, T R Kakkar at the Delhi Airport soon after his arrival.

Although Gujral had asked for a review and a scaling down of the SPG cover provided to him soon after assuming office, the top level meeting has acquired new urgency after the incident.

The meeting will be attended among others by Finance Minister P Chidambaram who is considered the brain behind the concept of an elite security force geared to protect the Prime Minister. Chidambaram was the Minister for Internal Security in the Rajiv Gandhi Government when the SPG was formed.

The agenda is likely to include the report prepared by the Cabinet Secretariat as part of the ongoing review of the SPG started by former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao.

The report includes a proposal to grade threat perceptions to VIPs so as to rationalise the deployment of SPG personnel and resources which have come under considerable strain because of the frequent change of Prime Ministers in recent years.

At present, the SPG provides security to five former Prime Ministers and their families as well as Sonia Gandhi and her two children, apart from the present PM and his family.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.