Kolkata, 17 May (H.S.): In a major administrative move, the Kolkata Police headquarters at Lalbazar has decided to withdraw local police security guards from the residences of 10 VIPs, triggering political discussions in the state.

According to administrative sources, those affected by the decision include Kalyan Banerjee, Aroop Biswas, Sovan Chatterjee, Rajeev Kumar, Sanjay Basu, Prashant Kishor, Kunal Ghosh, Manoj Malviya and Piyush Pandey.

Local police guards earlier posted at their residences will no longer remain deployed, sources said.

Officials said the decision was taken after reviewing the present positions and security categories of the individuals concerned.

Sources added that those already entitled to category-based security cover would continue to receive protection under the existing arrangements, making separate local police deployment unnecessary.

In particular, Kalyan Banerjee and Rajeev Kumar will continue to receive security as per their official entitlement, officials said.

Rajeev Kumar’s name had earlier drawn public attention when former chief minister Mamata Banerjee staged a sit-in protest in support of him during a high-profile controversy.

The withdrawal of security from his residence has now become a fresh talking point in political circles.

The review of VIP security arrangements has been continuing since the change of government in West Bengal. Earlier, security cover for Abhishek Banerjee had also reportedly been reduced.

While the latest move is officially being described as an administrative restructuring exercise, political observers are also attaching wider political significance to it.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey