Tamil Nadu: State BJP Chief Annamalai Accorded 'Y' Category Security Cover

The Intelligence agencies took note of the level of threat perception to the former IPS officer-turned politician over the past few weeks and prepared a report

New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry has accorded ‘Y’ category security cover to Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief K Annamalai.

According to a report by news agency ANI, the Ministry of Home Affairs has given 'Y' category CRPF security cover to Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai in the state. This security would be over and above the security cover provided to him by the state police.  

Under the ‘Y’ scale security, Annamalai will be protected by the armed Personal Security Officers drawn from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Security Branch CID of the state police on a round-the-clock basis.  

The decision to step up his security comes after a detailed assessment of his threat perception.

The Intelligence agencies took note of the level of threat perception to the former IPS officer-turned politician over the past few weeks and prepared a report based on which the security cover was boosted.  

Notably, petrol-filled bottles, the wick in one of them lit, were hurled at Kamalalayam, Tamil Nadu BJP headquarters in Chennai last month. One person was also arrested in connection with the incident on February 10.

Moreover, the BJP state president also claimed a few weeks back that the State intelligence was tapping his mobile phone.

It is to be noted that the Tamil Nadu government had scaled down the security cover of many protectees after assessment of their threat perceptions by the Security Review Committee about three months back.

Earlier in February 2021, Annamalai was given Y-Plus security cover following suspected threat to his life from extremist organisations. However, the scale was later reduced to ‘X’ category.

The security cover of former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami was also downgraded from Z-Plus (when he was the chief minister) to Y-Plus with CRPF cover.

As per the latest security arrangements, Annamalai would now on be protected by at least four armed security personnel and guards would be posted at his residence and halting place.

The local police would also enhance the outer-ring security to the protectee and boost surveillance in the vicinity of his residence.