The Union Home Ministry has provided 'X' category VIP security cover of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to 61 BJP MLAs in West Bengal in the wake of the rising political violence in the state.

With this, all 77 MLAs of the saffron party now have the cushion of security cover from the central forces.

It should be noted that the leader of opposition in the state, Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated chief minister Mamata Banerjee from Nandigram, already has a second highest ‘Z’ category security cover from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

The home ministry thoroughly considered reports of the intelligence units along with the inputs provided by the ministry’s four-member team that toured the state post the announcement of the results of the assembly polls.

Consequently, this decision to roll out layers of robust protection to the BJP MLAs was taken by the central government, Hindustan Times reports.

“We had requested the home minister to provide security to our 77 MLAs as they were not able to travel anywhere, including their constituencies to their work. If the violence goes down, then they can rethink (the security cover) but for now we need this,” party’s senior leader Kailash Vijayvargiya was quoted in the report.

TMC workers had unleashed large-scale violence against BJP workers and supporters following Mamata Banerjee’s resounding victory in the assembly elections. Several members of the saffron party’s cadre had to flee from their homes and party offices in various places were also attacked by the TMC goons.