TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2005 09:04:58 PM ]
MUMBAI: In a rare case, the state Samajwadi Party (SP) chief, Abu Asim Azmi, using his MP status has got protection from the Uttar Pradesh Police as his security was scaled down by the Mumbai police.
In the first term of the Democratic Front government, the Samajwadi Party was a part of the DF government. Azmi had been given protection and four armed constables accompanied him.
About two years ago, the Maharashtra government scaled down his security to just one guard, which upset him. After Mulayam SIngh of the SP took over as the UP chief minister, he gave protection to Azmi, who now has three stengun-weilding guards from Azamgarh in UP accompanying him all over Maharashtra.
The fact that he is a Rajya Sabha MP from UP helped even though he is in Mumbai most of the time. He stays in a penthouse in Colaba and has vast business interests in the city.
Additional commissioner of police (protection) Surinder Kumar said "it is illegal to use policemen from other states on a long-term basis." "I will find out how the UP government has given him security cover in Mumbai," he added. Deputy commissioner of police Naval Bajaj said law and order was state subject and other government's cannot interfere here. An inspector of Colaba police, in whose jurisdiction Azmi resides, "We have not permitted him to bring police police personnel from UP."
Azmi said he had to get protection from UP since the Mumbai had scaled down his security without any basis. He said he did not share with the city's police's threat perception.
"As recently as two months ago, someone had fired a bullet on my Mercedes car when I was passing through Nagpada. I have lodged a complaint with the Nagpada police.
The Mumbai police's response was to give me one more guard," he told this paper on Tuesday. Azmi is a former serial bomb blast accused who was acquitted by the supreme court.
Since the Mumbai police has not given him a escort vehicle, Azmi uses his personal vehicle, a Mahindra Bolero, to ferry his guards, including those from UP.
Does he really need so much the security? Some police officers feel that having sten gun toting guards has become a status symbol. Former police commissioner M.N. Singh said during his tenure a person close to the then chief minister of Haryana OP Chautala had brought guards from the northern state. "We objected to that and got the guards removed," he added.
MUMBAI: In a rare case, the state Samajwadi Party (SP) chief, Abu Asim Azmi, using his MP status has got protection from the Uttar Pradesh Police as his security was scaled down by the Mumbai police.
In the first term of the Democratic Front government, the Samajwadi Party was a part of the DF government. Azmi had been given protection and four armed constables accompanied him.
About two years ago, the Maharashtra government scaled down his security to just one guard, which upset him. After Mulayam SIngh of the SP took over as the UP chief minister, he gave protection to Azmi, who now has three stengun-weilding guards from Azamgarh in UP accompanying him all over Maharashtra.
The fact that he is a Rajya Sabha MP from UP helped even though he is in Mumbai most of the time. He stays in a penthouse in Colaba and has vast business interests in the city.
Additional commissioner of police (protection) Surinder Kumar said "it is illegal to use policemen from other states on a long-term basis." "I will find out how the UP government has given him security cover in Mumbai," he added. Deputy commissioner of police Naval Bajaj said law and order was state subject and other government's cannot interfere here. An inspector of Colaba police, in whose jurisdiction Azmi resides, "We have not permitted him to bring police police personnel from UP."
Azmi said he had to get protection from UP since the Mumbai had scaled down his security without any basis. He said he did not share with the city's police's threat perception.
"As recently as two months ago, someone had fired a bullet on my Mercedes car when I was passing through Nagpada. I have lodged a complaint with the Nagpada police.
The Mumbai police's response was to give me one more guard," he told this paper on Tuesday. Azmi is a former serial bomb blast accused who was acquitted by the supreme court.
Since the Mumbai police has not given him a escort vehicle, Azmi uses his personal vehicle, a Mahindra Bolero, to ferry his guards, including those from UP.
Does he really need so much the security? Some police officers feel that having sten gun toting guards has become a status symbol. Former police commissioner M.N. Singh said during his tenure a person close to the then chief minister of Haryana OP Chautala had brought guards from the northern state. "We objected to that and got the guards removed," he added.
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