Security cover: Nitish tries to assuage Rabri's ruffled feathers

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday issued orders to restore security cover to former chief minister Rabri Devi, barely 48 hours after police personnel were withdrawn from her official residence.

Nitish, who also holds the home portfolio, issued the directive soon after he returned from Bengaluru on Thursday.

An angry Rabri, who had protested on Wednesday over downsizing of her security cover, refused to accept the security till the government replied as to on whose instructions her security was withdrawn.

Even though Rabri made a brouhaha over the downgraded security cover, the Additional Director General of Police (ADG), Headquarters, S K Singhal on Wednesday evening denied that there was any withdrawal of cops from the former chief minister's residence 10, Circular Road.

"Only 16 personnel of Bihar Military Police (BMP), deployed as house guards and sanctioned for Lalu Prasad, had been removed as the RJD chief was in judicial custody," the ADG clarified.

But a miffed Rabri was unsparing in slamming the Nitish dispensation.

"If security for Lalu has been withdrawn, where are my security personnel. Being a former chief minister, I am also entitled to security cover as per the established norms," said Rabri, who enjoys Z security ever since she demitted office in 2005.

"I have heard that Nitish has ordered to restore security for me. But I will not accept it till the state government answers my queries I raised in the letter to Nitish on Wednesday. I want to know on whose instructions it was done so. I also want to know from ADG (Headquarters) where are the 106 cops which, he claimed, have been deployed for me, Tejashwi and Tej Pratap. I cannot allow a senior IPS officer to spread canard about my family's security cover," a visibly angry Rabri said.