Varun security issue: Sushma not happy with PC’s briefing

BJP leader Sushma Swaraj expressed disappointment over the briefings of Home Minister P Chidambaram on the issue of Varun Gandhi's security.

BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said she was “disappointed” with the briefings of Home Minister P Chidambaram on the issue of security of young party MP Varun Gandhi.

“…I can tell you that I am not satisfied with whatever he had said. Rather I am disappointed,” Swaraj told reporters after meeting Chidambaram in New Delhi.

The BJP leader,however,refused to disclose the details of her meeting with the Home Minister saying “what transpired in the meeting was between me and the Home Minister,I am not going to disclose it. At least,I would like to respect the sentiments in which the letter was written.

“But I have requested him one thing. If he accedes to that then it will be better,” she said without elaborating.

Asked about her accusation against Chidambaram of making public the letter written to her by him,she said “As far as my allegation is concerned (leakage of the letter),he himself accepted it. I told him that it was not a leakage,but it was officially uploaded in the website”.

On Wednesday,Swaraj had accused the Home Minister of making public a letter he (Chidambaram) had written to her regarding security arrangements for the 29-year-old leader.

“He (Chidambaram) told me that many people were asking him what is his response to Swaraj’s statement. He told them that he has written a letter to me and also told them that he has invited me for a meeting,” she said.

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

The Home Minister in his letter,which was made public,had said the “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 the one-page letter to Swaraj.

“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.