Andhra CM to get additional security in view of Maoist threat

Vijayawada, Jan 21 (IANS) The security of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will be further strengthened in view of the Maoist threat, official sources said on Saturday.

The Union Home Ministry has decided to allot one more team of elite National Security Guards (NSG) comprising five commandos for his security.

Naidu currently enjoys 'Z plus' category security. The three-tier security includes NSG commandos apart from Andhra Pradesh police's Intelligence Security Wing.

According to sources, the Home Ministry has also asked Andhra Pradesh police to take additional security measures in view of the increased threat perception.

The development came a couple of weeks after reports that Maoists were keeping an eye on the movements of Naidu, especially during his visits to the national capital.

Maoists were reportedly planning to attack Naidu at Andhra Bhavan in the garb of media persons. Andhra Pradesh Bhavan was also alerted over the loopholes in his security.

The state police in November last year received information from the Home Ministry about the increased threat perception following the killing of 30 Maoists in a gunfight with the police in the Andhra-Odisha border area in October.

Following the killings, a letter purportedly written by the outlawed CPI (Maoist) was sent to the media in which it threatened to take revenge on Naidu.

The outfit had threatened a suicide attack on Naidu and his son Lokesh.

Naidu had survived a claymore mine attack by Maoists on October 1, 2003 in Tirupati.

Naidu, who was then the Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, had sustained injuries in the attack.