‘Chidambaram leaked letter on Varun’s security,breached propriety’

A day after BJP attacked him for adopting a “lackadaisical” attitude on Varun’s security,the Home Minister dismissed the allegation saying the BJP MP has been provided adequate protection taking into account the inputs of the intelligence agencies.

Swaraj claimed she had shown the letter only to senior party leader L K Advani. “If Chidambaram wanted to keep security arrangements made for Varun a secret then why did he leak it? I did not tell the press about it but now that it has been made public,I will be cornered to reveal details of my meeting with Chidambaram whenever it takes place,” she said,adding,he had “violated propriety” by doing so.

Responding to the statement of Swaraj,who is BJP deputy leader in Lok Sabha,that Varun did not get “satisfactory” and “logical” response from him after seeking upgraded security,Chidambaram said the government has acted on the letter given by Varun on March 20.

“Government has also taken into account the inputs provided by the intelligence agencies. As in the case of every other protected person,the level of security provided to Varun is periodically reviewed,” Chidambaram said in a one- page letter to Swaraj.

Referring to Swaraj’s mentioning of the issue during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha on Tuesday,Chidambaram said “while I would be happy to respond in the House and disclose the level of security provided to Varun,I thought that (discussing it in Parliament) would defeat the very purpose of providing security to Varun.

“I,therefore,suggest that,if you wish,you may kindly meet me and I shall take you into confidence about the security cover provided to Varun,” he said in the letter.

Swaraj said Varun had met the Home Minister in this regard but sadly the response he got was neither “logical” nor “satisfactory”.

Chidambaram said Varun met him on June 15. “He has not written to me since then on the subject”.

Sources in the Home Ministry said that 29-year-old Varun was provided with special Y category protectee (three PSO’s round the clock,one escort,one pilot vehicle and ten house guards) and after various reviews,the arrangement was found adequate.

Varun was arrested by the UP police on March 29 and shifted from Pilibhit to Etah jail following security concerns.

Security for Varun,who was at that point getting ‘X’ category security (guarded by a PSO),was reviewed. It was then upgraded to Special ‘Y’ category when he came out of jail on bail on April 15.

As per the rules,his additional security had to be withdrawn after the election process ended and reverted to ‘X’ category.

After the elections amid reports that the Home ministry was reviewing security for VIPs,Varun wrote to the Home Minister seeking enhanced security under ‘Z’ category.

Varun’s mother Maneka Gandhi had also alleged in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the Home Ministry had adopted a “lackadaisical” approach to threats to his life.

Maneka,in the letter,had referred to the arrest by Delhi Police of six sharp-shooters of Chhota Shakeel gang,saying that they wanted to target Varun,a claim denied by the police.