"A BJP leader had told me that my phone was being tapped. I said if anybody wants to listen to what I am saying I welcome it. I am Balasaheb's chela (disciple), whatever I do, I do it openly," Raut told reporters. "In spite of the phone-tapping, we formed the government in Maharashtra," he said. Raut's remarks come a day after state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh alleged that the Fadnavis dispensation misused government machinery to tap the phones of opposition leaders, especially during the formation of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government.
She also said the country's economy is in a "bad state" and there is a "severe slowdown", to which the Congress has been drawing the government's attention, and the Centre must do something about it.
Under SPG protection, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were using Range Rovers.
Singh and his wife have been accorded the cover with a strength of about 45 armed commandos who will guard them round-the-clock at their residence on 3, Motilal Nehru Road and during their movement across the country.
Gandhi's comments came at a time when the BJP is trying to distance itself from its erring MP.
More than 10,000 police personnel, including 65 assistant commissioners, 200 inspectors and 800 sub-inspectors, will be deployed at strategic locations in the city, deputy commissioner of police (control room) Vijay Patel said. This massive deployment will be in addition to officials of the United States Secret Service, and officials of the National Security Guards (NSG) and the Special Protection Group (SPG), he added.
"The entire edifice of security of the PM, in a federal structure like ours, stands on the strong bond of mutual trust and confidence between state police and the SPG. State police are fully responsible for ensuring a secure route for the PM's travel," former NSG Director General Sudeep Lakhtakia said.
The redevelopment project of the Central Vista -- the power corridor of the country -- envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a Common Central Secretariat and the revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate and new residences for the prime minister and the vice president.
Suspension of Internet services in ten districts of Assam was extended for 48 hours on Thursday
The Modi government wants to have a smooth relationship with the DMK government.
'The PM of India was 20 km away from the Pakistan border and he is one of the persons under extreme threat from that country and they put his life in danger.'
"We only went there once and saw such negligence. This is unacceptable."
While the opposition members protested the interruption by Thakur, the BJP members persuaded her to sit down. After which, the Speaker said only A Raja's statement will be taken on record.
The Special Protection Group, the National Security Guard, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Central Industrial Security Force and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police are ensuring a watertight VIP security cover everyday to politicians campaigning across the country.
The Gandhi family will now get 'Z+' security by the Central Reserve Police Force on an all-India basis.
Three months after the Modi government withdrew SPG cover to Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, they are all set to lose another special status provided to them.
In this event, it is the IAF that showed true professionalism, telling the boss they weren't going to fly in that weather. You can see what professionalism and moral courage it takes to say no to your prime minister. Only things like that can keep him safe, observes Shekhar Gupta.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now the only person to be protected by the about-4,000-personnel-strong SPG.
University Registrar Ch Gopal Reddy said they declined permission as they had no mechanism to provide security to the congress leader.
Jyoti claimed that her father is innocent and was framed in a false case.
The inquiry report, submitted to the Union home ministry, suggested that not enough state police personnel were deployed within the five km radius of the prime minister's function.
In the wake of the Bharatiya Janata Party's demand for fool-proof security to Narendra Modi, the government on Wednesday said the BJP's prime ministerial candidate's security has already been tightened but ruled out Special Protection Group protection for him.
There has been a raging debate over security cover for BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and the Sunday's blasts in Patna have made this a talking point.
"The government is wrong. It is wrong because it is clueless," Chidambaram said. "It is unable to look for the obvious clues because it is stubborn and mulish in defending its catastrophic mistakes like demonetisation, flawed GST, tax terrorism, regulatory overkill, protectionism, and centralised control of decision-making in the Prime Minister's Office."
The Congress, which criticised the amendment, walked out of Rajya Sabha saying it is dissatisfied with the home minister's reply on the amendment to the SPG Act.
Congress' Samvad Baithak (conclave meeting) at Surajkunad on Friday was a closed door affair, with no scope of any media coverage. Our correspondent in New Delhi gets you the exclusive buzz of what transpired at the meet.
The Cabinet Committee on Security on Wednesday decided to enhance security for President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, who are protected by the Special Protection Group.
Priyanka has been told that if she stays beyond August 1, she will have to pay penalty.
Union Ministers Dr Farooq Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jairam Ramesh and G K Vasan have complained to Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth about the rude behaviour of the Special Protection Group personnel at 7 Race Course Road.
A former army officer's plea for the Central Bureau of Investigation probe into alleged corruption in procurement of some electronic equipment for the Research and Analysis Wing and the Special Protection Group has been dismissed by a Delhi court.
One cannot expect a thorough-going investigation by the CBI as long as it acts under the supervision of the government, points out B Raman
"Storm of lies becomes so big at times that even day appears to be night but the Sun does not lose its light. People should not be swayed by this storm. Truth is that I did not tolerate insult to Udham Singh yesterday," the Bhopal MP tweeted.
Taking a cue from the Mantralaya fire in Mumbai, the administration has taken several steps to secure the 92-year old Parliament House building from such an untoward incident.
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati renewed demand for a Special Protection Group cover speaks volumes of her obsession for security, for which she already has more than 200 personnel to guard her round the clock. Sharat Pradhan reports.
Who took the decision for the prime minister, the nation's single most popular leader, to take the road route when they should have already known about the farmers' protests and also the grave risks involved, when and how, asks N Sathiya Moorthy.
The 69-year-old, who also served as Nagaland governor and led the investigation into the Aarushi Talwar murder case, left behind a note saying he was "embarking on a new journey", officials said.
Uproar over a member's alleged harassment by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's security personnel in Parliament precincts forced the adjournment of the Lok Sabha for nearly two hours on Wednesday. Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party members rushed into the Well as soon the House reassembled at noon after an earlier adjournment, demanding action against the Special Protection Group personnel responsible for the incident, in which BSP MP Rama Shankar Rajbhar was manhandled.
The government of India has said that 15 people in the country have been provided Z-Plus security with over 500 commandoes of the National Security Guards deployed for this task.
The car drove right up to the porch near the garden at her home with three men, three women and a girl coming out of the vehicle, sources said.
With the expert panel's recommendations, the project comes a step closer to getting the environment clearance (EC), to be given by the Union Environment Minister.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances