In a significant development concerning security protocols for political figures in Bihar, the state government has withdrawn the elite Z-plus security cover provided to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife, former chief minister Rabri Devi.
According to a notification issued on Thursday, the decision came after a comprehensive review of protection arrangements for various VIPs across the state. The two senior RJD leaders will now be guarded by personnel from the Bihar Special Armed Police (BSAP). The review also resulted in the removal of Y-category security for Tej Pratap Yadav, Lalu Prasad’s elder son and chief of the Janshakti Janta Dal.
Officials explained that Z-plus security involves a dedicated team of highly trained personnel armed with advanced weaponry. Despite the downgrade, Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi will retain a scaled-down security detail, which includes two to eight BSAP house guards, two bodyguards from the Patna District Force, a pilot vehicle, and a bulletproof car.
The changes do not extend to the entire RJD first family. The Bihar government has maintained Y-plus security for Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav. Security arrangements for Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti, Lalu Prasad’s eldest daughter, and Rajshree Yadav, wife of Tejashwi Yadav, remain unchanged.
The move arrives amid ongoing tensions over government accommodation. Just days earlier, Rabri Devi publicly challenged Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary to forcibly evict her from the official bungalow at 10, Circular Road in Patna, which she has occupied for over a decade. Reacting to a recent order by the state’s building construction department allotting the residence to Dairy and Fisheries Minister Nand Kishor Ram, Rabri Devi told reporters at Patna airport upon her return from Delhi, “Yes, I can see that Samrat Choudhary, who has become the chief minister only recently, is quite excited. Let him get me evicted by force. I am not going to vacate the premises.”
She had been in the national capital to celebrate her grandson’s birthday. Meanwhile, Lalu Prasad is reported to be in Singapore for medical treatment. The former chief minister, who has noted that Choudhary started his political career as a minister in her government, appeared upset while addressing the media from inside her vehicle.
The bungalow, situated near Raj Bhavan and the chief minister’s residence, was allotted to the RJD family during a previous Nitish Kumar-led government. It has long served as both a family home and a key political nerve centre for the opposition. Months before Choudhary took office as Bihar’s first BJP chief minister, the building construction department had designated the property for a deputy chief minister.