The rules India uses to protect most Very Important Persons (VIPs) have been fixed for a long time. A restricted manual called the Union Home Ministry’s “Yellow Book”, first formally cited in Parliament in December 2015 and repeated by the government in April 2017, lays down the rules for VIPs—except the President, Vice-President and Prime Minister. It sets standard categories (X, Y, Y+, Z, Z+).

One core rule is that protectees—and their offices—must share their movement plans in advance. That way the police, CAPFs (Central Armed Police Forces), and authorities at places being visited can do Advance Security Liaison (ASL) and deploy teams properly.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has had to write a letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. The letter is about repeated breaches of security rules by Rahul Gandhi. These rules come from the CRPF’s “yellow book” for VIP security.

Rahul Gandhi has the protection classified as Z plus (Advanced Security Liaison). That means about 10-12 CRPF commandos guard him. They also do reconnaissance in advance at places he will visit. But, repeatedly, Rahul Gandhi has made unscheduled movements without letting the CRPF know in advance.

These gross violations of protocol have happened during both domestic and foreign visits. Countries named include Italy, Vietnam, UAE, Qatar, UK, and Malaysia. The CRPF says that such unannounced movements pose “high risk” to Rahul Gandhi’s own security. They urge him to follow the rules, as required by the Yellow Book of the CRPF meant for VIP security.

The CRPF points out that the protectee—Rahul Gandhi—must keep the paramilitary force informed “at all times.”

According to a report by The Indian Express, Rahul Gandhi has violated security guidelines 113 times since 2020. He also broke protocols during the Delhi leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

In a tweet, BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya said, “Under the yellow book protocol, individuals under high-category security are required to provide prior intimation about their movements, including foreign travel, to enable deployment. Rahul doesn’t.”

Meanwhile, the Congress party has criticised the CRPF. Mallikarjun Kharge asked about the “timing” of the letter, saying Rahul Gandhi is busy promoting conspiracy theories of “vote chori.” Spokesperson Pawan Khera tweeted on Thursday (11th September), “Is this a veiled attempt to intimidate the Leader of Opposition, who has already announced another imminent disclosure? Is the government rattled by the truth he is about to reveal?”

Since 2020, CRPF’s VIP Security Wing has flagged many what it calls “violations” of Yellow Book protocols by Rahul Gandhi, who has Z+ (ASL) status. There is now a detailed communication from early September 2025, addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. In this, the CRPF makes clear that unannounced or unscheduled movements by the protectee pose “risk”, and that the guidelines must be followed by both the leader and his staff. The force reminds people that Z+ (ASL) means roughly 10–12 armed CRPF commandos for close security and that advance reconnaissance of visited locations is mandatory.

According to The Indian Express, the CRPF’s letter states that between 2020 and 2025 there were 113 observed protocol violations communicated to Gandhi’s office from time to time. The newspaper also reports that the Delhi leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra saw breaches compared to what the Yellow Book prescribes for route discipline and ASL. 

In other reporting around 11-12 September 2025, several mainstream media outlets confirmed the main message of that CRPF letter: unscheduled movements inside India, and foreign trips where the timeline/intimation was not given in time to the VIP Security Wing. The CRPF specifically mentions foreign visits: Italy (Dec 30–Jan 9), Vietnam (Mar 12–17), UAE/Dubai (Apr 17–23), Qatar (Jun 11–18), UK/London (Jun 25–Jul 6), Malaysia (Sep 4–8). These instances show how delays, or no information, stretch the coordination with host authorities and local police. 

News outlets like The Times of India, The Indian Express, NDTV and others reported the CRPF’s concerns. They noted Rahul Gandhi’s Z+ (ASL) status and the main claim: gaps in prior intimation, unscheduled movement, including during foreign trips, going against what the Yellow Book expects. 

Politically, reactions came quickly. Congress questioned the timing of the CRPF letter. They called it an “attempt to intimidate” the Leader of Opposition. BJP leaders, for their part, said the issue must be taken seriously. On X, BJP’s Amit Malviya reiterated a key Yellow Book rule: “high-category protectees must give prior intimation of movements—including foreign travel—to enable protective deployment; “Rahul doesn’t,” he wrote. Union minister Anurag Thakur also publicly pressed Congress to answer for these lapses. (Note: public debate over timing does not change the legal or administrative requirement to inform the security agency.) 

The background here is important. Security lapses and unpredictable actions increase danger for VIPs. The Yellow Book insists on things like advance intimation, route discipline, and ASL to lower such risks. This is especially true when protectees travel abroad or meet the public without fixed schedules.

As of September 12, 2025, what is clear in public record is:

1. The Yellow Book is the Ministry of Home Affairs’ manual for how VIPs (other than President, VP, PM) get protected.

2. Rahul Gandhi has Z+ (ASL) cover under CRPF’s VIP Security Wing.

3. The CRPF has told Congress President Kharge that there have been repeated violations of protocol since 2020—113 instances is the number quoted in the Indian Express report.

4. The CRPF has asked for strict compliance going forward, especially for prior intimation of both domestic and foreign movements.

   #WATCH | Chandigarh: On CRPF writing to Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi for allegedly violating security protocols during his visits abroad, BJP MP Anurag Thakur says, "This is a very serious matter. Congress national president should take this very seriously. God forbid, if something… pic.twitter.com/Jb6gpf8bAW — ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2025

CRPF’s Yellow Book lays down the rulebook for VIP security in India

India’s system of VIP protection is built on a very structured set of manuals. For the top three constitutional offices—the President, the Vice-President and the Prime Minister—there are their own “Blue Books.” In addition, the Prime Minister and former Prime Ministers are covered by the SPG Act. For almost all other important figures who receive centrally approved protection—such as Union ministers, chief ministers, leaders of political parties, judges, key witnesses, and other public personalities—the guiding document is the Union Home Ministry’s “Yellow Book.” This handbook, which has been officially referred to in Parliament and reaffirmed through government notifications, is not a public booklet but a restricted set of rules. It defines what the different protection categories mean, who is eligible for them, how security escorts are to be coordinated, and most importantly, what obligations the protectee and their staff have to make the protection system function.

At the heart of this manual lies one important principle: the system is threat-based, not status-based. That means intelligence agencies—primarily the Intelligence Bureau, but also state police and other central bodies—study the actual degree and nature of threat to a person. Based on that assessment, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) decides whether the individual should receive Z+, Z, Y+, Y, or X category protection. Once the category is sanctioned, the MHA assigns an implementing unit. For central security covers, it is usually the CRPF’s VIP Security Wing that takes the lead. Sometimes the state police may supplement this cover, or even provide state-sanctioned security directly. The system is not static; categories are reviewed from time to time. Depending on how threats evolve, security can be upgraded, downgraded, or even withdrawn.

What these categories mean in practice is a carefully layered deployment of protection. It involves Proximate Security Officers (PSOs), escort teams, and static guards. The Yellow Book does not give out the precise numbers of personnel or the technical details, because those are sensitive operational matters that cannot be public. Instead, the document outlines the principles: how a protectee is to be guarded when travelling by road, rail, or air; how security must function at venues such as rallies, residences, hotels, and offices; and how handovers take place between central agencies and state authorities. The emphasis is always on layered protection—a close-protection ring right around the VIP, escort vehicles and communication systems for mobility, and outer security managed by local police for crowd control, route regulation, and emergency response.

A central pillar that the Yellow Book highlights above all else is Advance Security Liaison (ASL). Before any trip or public event, security agencies must be given sufficient time to check the routes, inspect the venues, verify layouts, identify emergency exits, and mark fall-back options. They also check vantage points, put in place access controls, and brief the organisers. For international visits, ASL goes further, requiring coordination with Indian embassies and missions abroad, with the host country’s police, and with venue authorities. That is why the manual requires protectees and their staff to share schedules and itineraries in advance and not to make unannounced detours. Without this prior intimation, the entire system’s most effective safety net—planned security layers that anticipate risk—cannot be put in place.

The Yellow Book also clearly explains the duties of the protectee. These duties include: maintaining route discipline, respecting security advice during crowd interactions, travelling in vetted vehicles, using approved premises, and allowing both personal and venue security screening whenever needed. Another requirement is that the protectee’s office must always keep the CRPF and local police informed with accurate schedules, updated information, and working contact points. The manual stresses that responsibilities go both ways. Security agencies must provide protection without making public life impossible, but at the same time, the VIP must not create unnecessary risk by suddenly changing plans or withholding key details.

Since VIP events usually involve large public gatherings, the Yellow Book also sets out a structure for multi-agency coordination. The CRPF’s VIP Security Wing is the main executing body for centrally sanctioned covers, but it works hand-in-hand with the district police, traffic police, special branches, intelligence units, event organisers, ambulance services, and airport or railway authorities. The roles are clearly divided. Proximate security remains with the designated force, outer perimeters and route control are managed by local police, while specialised tasks like bomb detection or explosive sweeps are handled by trained technical teams. The importance of the Yellow Book lies in making these responsibilities routine and predictable so that everyone knows what to do, when to do it, and how information will be exchanged.

The restricted nature of the document is by design. While Parliament and official releases acknowledge its name, scope, and framework, the fine operational details are never made public. This balance ensures that people understand the system in principle, but adversaries cannot misuse it as a ready-made playbook. Still, enough is known from official sources to make the logic clear: the tiers are based on threat, the system relies heavily on ASL, protectees have strict obligations, multiple agencies must coordinate, and security cover must be reviewed from time to time. States themselves also say they use the Yellow Book as the foundation for their own VIP security policies.

It is also useful to clear up two common misunderstandings. First, VIP protection is not just about the number of commandos around a person. It is a comprehensive process that includes intelligence assessments, careful planning, layered deployments, and disciplined execution. Second, it is not a one-way street. Even the strongest security detail can be put at risk if the protectee makes unscheduled or last-minute changes. The Yellow Book’s stress on prior intimation and ASL is not about red tape. It is the difference between a venue that has been quietly secured hours in advance and one that is left open to vulnerabilities.

In conclusion, the Yellow Book is the government’s codified manual for threat-based VIP protection beyond the top three constitutional posts. It sets the framework for the CRPF and other agencies to plan and deploy protection, and it makes it clear what VIPs themselves must do—provide their schedules on time, follow approved routes, and respect security protocols—so that the protection they are given actually keeps them safe.