The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has flagged certain security protocol “violations” allegedly by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during his movements, official sources said on Thursday.The CRPF VIP security wing provides the top category ‘Z plus (ASL)’ armed protection to the 55-year-old Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha.
Around 10-12 armed CRPF commandos provide a proximate security cover to him whenever he is mobile.
As part of the Advanced Security Liaison (ASL), the force carries out an early reconnaissance of the locations to be visited by Gandhi.
The sources said the VIP security unit of the paramilitary force has sent a letter on Wednesday to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, stating certain “unscheduled movements without intimation” by Gandhi during his domestic visits as well as before he left for abroad.
A copy of the said communication has also been marked to Gandhi’s office, according to the sources.
The sources said such communication was “routine” in nature and had been sent by the CRPF security wing in the context of Gandhi’s security in the past too.
The Congress party reacted to the development, raising questions over the timing of the communication and wondering whether it was a “veiled attempt” to intimidate its leader after he announced “another imminent disclosure” on “vote chori”.