NEW DELHI, February 6: The Congress party may be ecstatic over the crowds their first family is drawing but this has sent alarm bells ringing elsewhere.It is understood that the threat to Sonia Gandhi and now her children, Priyanka and Rahul, because of their active election campaigning, has been the subject of more than one meeting in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
While the security of other VVIP protectees like Atal Behari Vajpayee, Farooq Abdullah, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and Prakash Singh Badal was also discussed at these meetings, it is understood the real "concern" was for the safety of the Gandhis.
Following the meeting, sources say, a top-level security official belonging to the Special Protection Group is believed to have ``briefed'' Sonia Gandhi about how the family should be more ``considerate'' about the security drill being laid down for persons on the ``Z plus'' category list of VVIP security.
The first word of caution, sources said, was sent to the party by the Home Ministry after theAmethi rally in which Sonia and Rahul mingled with the crowds after the election speech. Given that she is scheduled to address over 100 meetings -- at least 30 in UP alone -- the party has been asked to ensure that the Gandhis adhere to security guidelines.
Sources said that Sonia Gandhi is said to have told the security officials that she will be more careful.
Intelligence sources said the ``advice'' given to Sonia Gandhi was all the more justified keeping in mind the ``security environment'' following the judgment in which 26 persons have been sentenced to death for her husband's assassination.
``It is not possible to frisk thousands of people who come for the rallies and make foolproof security arrangements. It is OK to mix with a small gathering which has been thoroughly checked but it is always a risk to mingle with large crowds,'' said a senior SPG official.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
