NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday accused the government and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) of politicising security concerns surrounding leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi, after the force wrote to him and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge highlighting repeated violations of security protocols during his foreign trips.On CRPF writing to Rahul Gandhi for allegedly violating security procedures abroad, Congress leader Pawan Khera said, “The timing and the way this content of this so-called letter have emerged through the media raises very important questions – why this particular time was chosen by the Govt. We know that the Govt is very nervous about the ‘vote chori’ campaign. We also know that the PM is very worried about the so-called hydrogen bomb which Mr Gandhi has spoken about…You should be worried, you have every reason to be worried but do not make the issue of the security of the LoP, especially a person who has lost two family members, a political issue. Do not politicise this issue. You should not have leaked the contents of this letter, a sensitive matter like security of Mr Gandhi in public…” He further criticised the BJP’s response, saying, “Is this a threat? Are they trying to threaten Mr Gandhi? This particular comment by the BJP, it is a political party and it is not the Govt speaking right now which is making this obnoxious comment. This should be treated by the Govt of India as a threat to Rahul Gandhi.”The CRPF in its communication said Rahul Gandhi, despite enjoying Z+ security cover with an Advance Security Liaison team, had on multiple occasions skipped mandatory protective measures. It warned that such lapses weaken the effectiveness of VVIP security.According to officials, the letter cited Rahul Gandhi’s foreign trips to Italy, Vietnam, Dubai, Qatar, London and Malaysia, noting that he often travels abroad for personal and political reasons without following required procedures. Under the “Yellow Book” protocol, high-security protectees must inform their security wing in advance about all movements, including international tours, to allow adequate arrangements.The force conveyed that Rahul Gandhi’s repeated lapses posed “serious concerns” for his safety and urged him to comply with guidelines in the future.
