Azam Khan wants AK-47 rifles for ministers’ bodyguards à la DMs

His reason: It is "ironical" when a minister gets visitors like district magistrates or commissioners, whose securitymen carry AK-47 rifles.

In a letter to Principal Secretary (Home) R M Srivastava, Khan has asked for reconsideration of a government order, dating back to 2001, by which it was decided not to give AK-47 rifles to personal securitymen of ministers, and "issue necessary order that there should be at least four AK-47 rifles in the security of ministers and those entitled to Z security".

Khan said the situation — where securitymen of officials are armed with AK-47 rifles and securitymen of VIPs and ministers in Z category carry "carbines of the olden times in the name of weapons, cannot be called good from any viewpoint".

Incidentally, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is the Home Minister, but Azam Khan has written directly to an officer who is not under him.

Khan is Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Muslim Wakf, Urban Development, Water Supply, Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation, Minority Welfare and Haj. He enjoys Z-category security.

On being contacted, Principal Secretary (Home) R M Srivastava said Azam Khan wants AK-47 rifles for ministers' bodyguards à la DMs the suggestion for providing AK-47 rifles to personal security staff of VIPs and ministers was being examined.

The order in question was issued by the state govenrment in April 2001. In August 2008, the government issued another order which reiterated the instructions, but said that when a protected person travels to a terrorism-affected area, or a disturbed area outside UP, the matter of giving AK-47 rifles to the personal security staff will be considered by a high-level committee, headed by the Principal Secretary (Home).

The order said that the recommendation of the high-level committee would require approval of the government. Also, AK-47 rifles will be given to the personal security staff only "in exceptional circumstances", the order said.

Sources in the Home Department said that contrary to the minister's impression that carbines are old and AK-47 is a new weapon, the AK-47 is also a very old weapon; in fact, it is of 1947 vintage.

The difference is that AK-47 rifles are assault weapons, which are used for operational purposes and have a long range, while carbines are more suitable for the security of ministers because they are small, can be conveniently carried in a crowd and have a shorter range.

Sources said a state-level security committee, headed by Principal Secretary (Home), decides all matters related to the security cover of VIPs.

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