Pune, Sept 6 : A day after Anna Hazare refused Z grade security cover given to him by the state government, the Ahmednagar police said a team of eight commandos and two police security guards from Special Protection Unit of Maharashtra police will continue to provide him round-the-clock security in Ralegan Siddhi, The Indian Express reported.
Even as Home Minister R R Patil said he will persuade Hazare to accept the cover, worried villagers in Ralegan Siddhi said there was threat to the activist's life and he should not shun the security cover.
The Home Minister sounded confident that he would convince Anna to accept the security.
“I will pursuade Anna to continue with the security cover. It must be kept in mind that the security of a man of his stature and national importance is the responsibility of the state,” Patil told IE over telephone from Mumbai on Monday.
Ahmednagar SP Krishna Prakash said, “Two special guards will accompany Anna at any given point of time in public. I have explained to him the cover is given, anticipating the worst scenarios, and Z security cover does not always imply that there are intelligence inputs. Before the Z cover was given, he was accompanied by two policemen in plain clothes.”
The police said cover also includes a pilot car when he is on the move.
Meanwhile, villagers of Ralegan Siddhi expressed concern over Anna's security. Sarpanch Jaisinghrao Mapari said he strongly felt that Anna should take the security.
“When Anna exposed corruption, one of the ministers had given a supari (contract) to kill Anna. At that time Anna was active only at the state level. Now when the bill will be implemented, there's a possibility of many people harming him,” he argued.
Trustee of the Hind Swaraj Trust Sakharam Raut said his team members have tried to persuade Hazare to change his mind. “We all have tried to persuade him. I personally advised him to keep the security at least for a few days till the situation calms down. But we can only advise, final decision will be his.” said Raut.
Secretary of Anti-graft Crusader Suresh Pathare said while he is worried about Hazare's safety and would want Anna to take security, as a friend, he feels that it would have other consequences as well. “It may result in loosing contact with people. It would also send an undesirable message to the masses.”
