The security of Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the BJP’s ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, has been upped from the existing “Z-Plus”‘ category to the more robust Advanced Security Liaison or ASL protocol. The upgrade brings Mr Bhagwat’s security level on par with that of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
This upgrade involves augmenting the security measures currently provided by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel.
Mr Bhagwat’s security upgrade comes in response to a fresh risk assessment, especially in states ruled by non-BJP parties.
The assessment report highlighted threats from various organizations, including radical Islamist groups, and cited intelligence inputs about the increased risk, reported news agency ANI, quoting un-named sources.
Mr Bhagwat is among the 10 persons in the country who have “Z-Plus” armed security cover by CISF personnel. Currently, a total of 200 protectees are being covered by the CISF personnel.