Former envoy turned BJP leader Taranjeet Singh Sandhu
The Union Government has provided ‘Y+ escort’ category Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) security cover to the former Indian Ambassador to the US and recently inducted Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Taranjeet Singh Sandhu, sources said on April 10.
Taranjeet Singh Sandhu has been granted the security cover for across India following an order issued earlier this week by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The MHA took the decision to extend the security cover to Taranjeet Singh Sandhu based on a recent threat analysis report received from the Intelligence Bureau.
Joining an exclusive club of ex-diplomats who made the switch to politics under the Narendra Modi Government, Taranjeet Singh Sandhu joined the BJP last month. Like him, Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and S Jaishankar are also former diplomats.
Taranjeet Singh Sandhu is a 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer and the grandson of former Congress leader and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) founder member Teja Singh Samundri. Having retired on February 1, Taranjeet Singh Sandhu began interacting with people from all walks of life in Amritsar from February 23 onwards, his grandfather’s birth anniversary, which sparked speculation about his entry into politics. He became the inaugural individual from his lineage since his grandfather, who was incarcerated by the British for his involvement in the Gurdwara Reform Movement and Civil Disobedience Movement, entered the realm of politics.
Born on January 23, 1963, Taranjeet Singh Sandhu is a seasoned diplomat who has served in the United States on three occasions. Initially, he held a junior diplomatic post during the Pokhran tests in the 1990s and later ascended to the positions of Deputy Chief of Mission and Ambassador.
Taranjeet Singh Sandhu is recognised for his pivotal role in rejuvenating diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Washington, DC, which had deteriorated following the 1998 Pokhran nuclear test.
During his tenure as First Secretary (political) at the Indian Embassy, he played a crucial role when the US Congress adopted a resolution denouncing Pakistan’s involvement in the Kargil conflict.
(with inputs from ANI)
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