Kolkata, Dec. 27 – The Union Home Ministry has given the green light to raise West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer, Manoj Agarwal, to a “Y”‑category personal security level, following the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) recommendation.
Under this upgrade, a cadre of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel will now provide direct protection for Agarwal. In addition, CAPF officers will also staff his office in central Kolkata, an arrangement the ECI had urged both for the CEO’s safety and to secure the premises.
Y‑category security is the third tier in the federal protection system. It usually involves around eight personnel, including a few armed commandos, who are assigned after a threat assessment by central authorities. State police then carry out the day‑to‑day security work—an arrangement that offers more coverage than X‑category protection but uses fewer agents than the higher Z/Z+ levels.
An insider with the CEO’s office said the decision was driven by ongoing protests at the office. “Because a group of booth‑level officers has kept staging demonstrations outside the office, primarily targeting Mr. Agarwal, the Commission’s repeated warnings have not been enough to stop the problem. The Union Home Ministry therefore found the upgrade both necessary and inevitable,” the source explained.
Agarwal has long been a target of criticism from the ruling Trinamool Congress. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has, at public events, denounced him—although she avoided naming him directly—while alleging past corrupt dealings. Shortly after these remarks, an organization of booth‑level officers linked to the TMC began regular protest marches outside the CEO’s office.
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