The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which also handles VIP protection, will soon have 32 female commandos ready to deploy as part of some leaders' security detail.
Women will be deployed as personal security officers in the protection detail of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur.
“In 2019, we started a VIP security wing and initially it had only men. However, we started training women to be part of the team and now the women will be posted with the VIPs by the second week of January," said a spokesperson for the paramilitary force that took over VIP protection responsibilities in 2019, when a law change limited the Special Protection Group or SPG to only providing security for the Prime Minister or former prime ministers and their families for a maximum of five years.
The women's people will be linked to the three women "on a need-to-know basis," according to the spokeswoman, but they will be deployed with other Z+ category protectees.
“The Congress president and Ms Gandhi Vadra had not asked for women personnel because they believe in the professionalism of the force.’’ says the party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.
The Congress reacted to what it perceived as petty politics when the SPG cover was removed two years ago. Women officers were present on the SPF cover.
When a VIP travels, the state government is responsible for their protection, although the CRPF provides immediate security to their person. Women may be included in this detail during election season, as each VIP protectee has five to seven guards.
When deployed for house protection, these commandos will search female visitors and be part of the VIP's residence's overall security detail during tours. Arms, ballistic protection, and other devices will be carried by the female commandos, much like their male counterparts.
