Patna: Security arrangements for senior political leaders in Bihar have been revised following a review by the state’s VIP security committee, with several National Democratic Alliance (NDA) figures receiving upgraded protection while cover for opposition leaders has been reduced or withdrawn.
According to officials familiar with the decision, Nitin Nabin, the newly appointed national president of the BJP, and Sanjay Saraogi, the party’s state president, will now be provided Z-category security. The enhanced cover will also apply to Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh, a JD(U) MP and Union minister, and Mangal Pandey, a senior BJP leader and Bihar’s health minister.
At the same time, the security cover of Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and leader of the opposition, has been downgraded from Z-category to Y-plus. His security had been upgraded to Z-category in August last year, ahead of the Bihar assembly elections.
The review has also resulted in the withdrawal of security for other opposition leaders, including former Bihar assembly speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary, Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram, and Congress MLC Madan Mohan Jha. Officials said the decisions were taken by the committee tasked with assessing VIP security requirements, though a formal notification from the home department was awaited late into the evening.
Bihar, like other states, follows a graded system of VIP security ranging from X to Z-plus. Z-plus security is the highest level and typically involves around 36 personnel, including armed police officers and more than 10 commandos from central forces such as the CRPF. Z-category security provides cover from about 22 personnel, including four to six central force commandos. Y-plus security involves roughly 11 personnel, with two to four commandos, while lower categories offer progressively reduced protection.
