SPG to accompany Gandhis round the clock during foreign visits, says report

In a development that could raise eyebrows across the political divide, the central government has revised Special Protection Group (SPG) rules to ensure full compliance by the Gandhi family, the Sunday Guardian reported.

The Gandhis, synonymous with the Indian National Congress, have been informed that they would be accompanied by SPG personnel at all times while travelling abroad, said the report. The family will lose its SPG protection or even be prohibited from travelling abroad in case they did not comply with the new guidelines, the report added.

The new regulation is a big shift from the existing system in which the Gandhi family members would be accompanied by the SPG only up to their first destination abroad. After that, the family members were allowed to travel alone in order to protect their privacy. Following the issuance of the new guidelines, the Gandhis will now be required to submit every minute detail of their travel plans.