In the wake of enhanced abduction threat from Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, the Centre will provide maxium security cover for the kin of VVIPs, inlcuding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his predecessor Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by Home Minister Shivraj Patil in the middle of last month and was implemented recently after carrying out a review of security for the kin of the VVIPs, official sources said.
Among others, grandchildren of Dr Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Vajpayee would be provided Z category security.
The meeting was called after security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir had intercepted a wireless message of JeM, which suggested that militants were planning to kidnap the kin of these VVIPs to secure the release of some militants in various jails in India.
The sources said the family members, including daughters, their husbands and the grand-children of the prime minister, would be put under the security net as a measure to thwart any of the nefarious designs of the militants.
Under the Special Protection Group Act, the prime minister and his immediate family members get the SPG cover while the former premiers are provided with the cover of this elite force for one year after they step down.
However, an amendment was made by the government in early 1990s under which the SPG cover was provided to Sonia Gandhi.
Similarly, the cover for Vajpayee is also extended beyound the one-year period.
Besides the prime minister, Gandhi and Vajpayee, SPG protects Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi as well.
Earlier last month, a high-level meeting, chaired by the National Security Advisor M K Narayanan, took stock of the security situation, especially after reports suggested militant groups were planning to carry out a suicide attack against the Gandhi family.
The security establishment has been examining new threats and sources said it has been decided to frame a new strategy for Sonia Gandhi and Rahul, who will be campaigning in the poll-bound states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttranchal and Punjab.
Uttar Pradesh is of greater concern for security agencies in view of the presence of sleeper cells of terror groups like Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, the sources said.
It is expected that before the announcement of polls there, a widespread crackdown will be conducted in some parts of the state to check Pakistani nationals who are in hiding after jumping normal visa regulations.