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20.13. In this, it will be interesting to refer to a recent Article published in Deccan Chronicle written by Mr. Arun Nehru (former Union Minister for Defence Production) regarding the controversy raised about the withdrawal of security personnel given to the film personality Amitabh Bachchan. After advising the film personality not to go for any political crossfire over the said decision, the said author wrote as follows:

Both the Centre and the States must get extremely tough on security systems and only leaders facing a genuine threat from hostile groups need to be given security. It is absurd that leaders should be given Z plus, X, Y, Z security to protect them from each other's followers in the state. We are a poor country and we deliver sermons for the poor, the weak and the deprived, yet sadly, our leaders, many of whom have retired, and their families spend millions of rupees in public money on what many consider as a status symbol. Security must be based on threat perceptions. Does every Cabinet or state minister need security? Do important MPs with political connections need gun-toting guards to impress their constituents? In the last year there have been over 50 incidents where security and defence personnel have fired their weapons in fits of personal rage and many innocents have been killed. Very often security personnel trained for a different purpose create a security risk as they lack the temperament for domestic duty and are not trained to act as personal staff.