New Delhi, Oct 16: In a significant policy shift, the Union Government has ordered the complete withdrawal of National Security Guard (NSG) commandos from VIP security duties, entrusting the protection of nine high-risk dignitaries to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) by next month, according to official sources.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the deployment of a new battalion of highly trained personnel, recently pulled from Parliament security, to reinforce the CRPF’s VIP security wing. Notable figures, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, will now be protected by the CRPF.
The handover, expected to be completed within a month, impacts nine ‘Z plus’ category VIPs, including former Chief Ministers Mayawati and N Chandrababu Naidu, veteran BJP leader L K Advani, and Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) leader Ghulam Nabi Azad. The CRPF, which already manages six VIP security battalions, will absorb a seventh battalion, previously responsible for securing Parliament.
The transition follows a broader government strategy to refocus the NSG on its core counter-terrorism and anti-hijacking responsibilities. The NSG, originally established in 1984 for counter-terror operations, has been tasked with VIP security for over two decades—a duty now considered a “burden” on its limited resources. Approximately 450 ‘black cat’ commandos are expected to be freed up for counter-terror operations once the transition is complete.
As part of the change, the CRPF will implement its advanced security liaison (ASL) protocol for two VIPs—Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. ASL involves advance reconnaissance of locations before VIP visits and is already in place for other high-profile leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The government’s decision to “restructure” the NSG comes after years of internal discussion. Since 2012, NSG commanders have advocated for a more focused deployment of the elite force in high-risk areas, especially in the event of simultaneous terror attacks. Additionally, in 2020, the government removed the Special Protection Group (SPG) from guarding the Gandhi family and began reconsidering the NSG’s VIP protection role.
The restructured NSG will see strike teams stationed in key high-risk areas, such as Ayodhya, home to the Ram temple, and critical southern assets. The move marks the end of the NSG’s role in VIP security, aligning the force with its original mandate of handling specialized counter-terrorist and anti-hijack operations.
