Threat to Rahul Gandhi permanent: Shinde

Against the backdrop of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's statement that he could be eliminated like his grandmother and father, government today said the threat to the Congress vice-president is permanent and it is taking all steps, including deployment of Special Protection Group personnel, for his safety.

"Threat to Rahul Gandhi is permanent. That is why we have taken all precautions....we have deployed SPG," Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told mediapersons in New Delhi.

Shinde was replying a question on Rahul's statement that he could also be eliminated like his grandmother Indira Gandhi and father Rajiv Gandhi.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said that the government would take all "precautions" to ensure that any threat to Rahul does not materialise.

"Well, I and all sane persons should be worried about the politics of hatred sweeping the country. As regards to the threat to the life of Rahul, the government will take all possible precautions that this threat does not materialise," he had said.

Speaking at an election rally in Rajasthan on Wednesday, Rahul had accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of fanning communal flames and indulging in "politics of hatred" and said he may also be assassinated like his grandmother and father, but he was not bothered.