The Bihar government has upgraded the security cover of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi to Z category protection, nearly a month after their security arrangements were scaled down.
Along with the enhanced cover, both leaders have also been provided bulletproof vehicles, officials said. The move comes after an earlier decision by the state administration to reduce their Z+ security status following a routine review of threat perception, a step that had sparked a political row.
The downgrade had drawn sharp criticism from the RJD, which accused the ruling NDA government of targeting opposition leaders by diminishing their security arrangements. Party leaders had described the move as an attempt to reduce the political stature of prominent opposition figures.
In a symbolic gesture of protest, the RJD had returned the remaining security personnel assigned to the leaders following the revision.
The state government, however, maintained that the changes were part of a periodic assessment process based on security threat evaluations.
Lalu Prasad Yadav’s younger son and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, who is currently the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, had also returned his government-provided security in protest. Officials later clarified that there had been no alteration in his security cover.
The decision to restore Z category protection for Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi comes at a time when the couple has also shifted residences.
On Thursday, Rabri Devi moved into her privately owned residence, leaving behind 10, Circular Road in Patna, which had served as her official residence and RJD camp office for nearly two decades.
She had been residing there in her capacity as former Chief Minister. In November last year, she was initially directed to vacate the premises as part of a broader allocation exercise linked to accommodation for newly inducted state ministers.
At that time, officials had noted that her status as Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council made her eligible for a different category of official housing.
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