New Delhi: The Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, on Wednesday, told the Lok Sabha that Prime Minister Narendra Modi follows tough norms while travelling abroad. He outlined some of them and also criticized the Gandhi family for avoiding SPG cover for their clandestine trips.
Amit Shah said, “Earlier when prime ministers went abroad, a hotel was booked for an overnight stay during technical halts to get fuel. Narendra Modi has till today not booked a hotel during a technical halt. He stays at the airport, takes bath there and proceeds further after refuelling is done. There was an arrangement of separate vehicles for the accompanying staff. He conveyed that four to five people should go in a car or a bus which should be arranged.”
Shah added that Modi started the practice of taking less than 20% of staff. As Modi stays at airports during the technical delays of his flight, the practice of booking hotels for overnight stays had also stopped.
The Union Home Minister was speaking at a debate on Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill. He also turned his guns against the Gandhi family on the issue of SPG cover and said that some take it for status symbol.
Shah added that those given such protection must not go without it referring to Gandhi family’s practice of avoiding the SPG cover to for their secret trips.
He said, “If we have been given security, what is the secret thing we have to do to leave it behind at home. We do not go without security. Rajnath (Singh) Ji is sitting here. For many years, those wearing black uniform (commandos) leave him till the toilet but he never says anything. If security has been provided, why not keep it with you?”
Amit Shah said that since 2015, Rahul Gandhi travelled 1,892 times in Delhi and 247 times abroad without informing the SPG.
He added, “Members of the Gandhi family have travelled without informing the SPG 600 times,” Shah asserted.
