Lucknow, April 18 -- The Samajwadi Party has urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to reinstate National Security Guard (NSG) cover for its president, Akhilesh Yadav, in addition to his existing Z+ category security, citing recent death threats.
In a letter to the Home Minister, the party expressed serious concerns over Yadav's safety and accused a man of openly threatening the SP chief in front of the national media. The letter also alleged that a BJP leader had issued a threat to Yadav. The party strongly condemned what it called the government's "inaction" in taking any steps against either the man or the BJP leader involved.
The NSG security cover for Akhilesh Yadav was withdrawn in 2019 following a comprehensive review of VIP protectees conducted by the Union Home Ministry. The decision at the time affected multiple leaders, including former Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh like Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati, both of whom, along with Akhilesh Yadav, were previously under NSG protection.
Currently, Z+ security remains in place for Akhilesh Yadav. However, the party maintains that the recent threats warrant a reinstatement of the elite NSG protection, which includes commandos trained to deal with terrorist threats and high-risk situations.
CM Yogi Adityanath continues to be under NSG cover. The Home Ministry has yet to respond to the letter.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.