GUWAHATI : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on October 5 reiterated his opposition to the “VIP culture,” declaring that even his own security cover should be withdrawn to set an example.

Addressing a gathering, Sarma said, “I oppose VIP culture. If possible, I would like to remove my own security. During the time of Zubeen Garg’s incident, we saw how much people dislike VIP culture. That’s why there shouldn’t be any VIP security at all.”

The Chief Minister added that his government had drastically cut down on the number of police personnel assigned to protect political leaders and officials.

“Earlier, around 4,000 police personnel were deployed for VIP arrangements in Assam. We have reduced that number to 600. Those officers are now deployed for road duties and public service instead,” he said.

Sarma also argued that ministers and MLAs should not have personal security officers (PSOs), as excessive protection creates unnecessary barriers between the public and elected representatives. “I believe ministers and MLAs shouldn’t have security either. Otherwise, we’ll always have to assign someone to protect someone else,” he remarked.

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