CRPF, not NSG, security for Himanta Biswa Sarma

The Central Reserve Police Force will be responsible for providing cover to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma instead of the National Security Guard. His predecessors — Sarbananda Sonowal, Tarun Gogoi and Prafulla Kumar Mahanta — enjoyed NSG protection based on threat perception in the insurgency-hit Assam. Gogoi’s NSG cover was replaced with CRPF in 2016 after BJP came to power. The veteran Congress leader passed away last year.

Similarly, Mahanta’s NSG cover was downgraded by the Union home ministry in 2019 as it decided to use the black cats for counter-terror operations. But Sonowol’s NSG cover continues. He was granted Z plus security in 2017. Sarma had been a CRPF protectee since 2017, an official said. He held Assam’s health, finance and education portfolios in the previous Sonowal government.

Another official said: “The decision to deploy CRPF for security is based on threat perception. The law and order situation in the state has improved but several insurgents groups are still active. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act was extended by the state government in February this year. Secondly, NSG’s original charter is of counter-terror and anti-hijack operations. They were seen in action during the recent drone attacks on IAF’s Jammu base, 2016 Pathankot attack where militants entered the IAF base and the 2008 Mumbai attacks.”


Set up in 1984, the NSG is responsible for providing security to defence minister Rajnath Singh, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, ex-CMs Mayawati, Mulayam Singh, Farooq Abdullah, Parkash Singh Badal and Chandrababu Naidu. Former deputy PM LK Advani too enjoys the NSG cover.