Stalin’s Security Slashed from Z+ to Z

The Tamil Nadu Police have scaled down the security cover provided to former chief minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin from Z+ to Z category following a periodic assessment of the threats faced by protected political leaders, officials said.

The decision followed a review by the Core Cell Security Wing at the State Secretariat. Chief Secretary Sai Kumar, Home Secretary K. Manivasan, Director General of Police Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal and other senior officers participated in the exercise, examining intelligence inputs and Stalin’s protection requirements.

Under the revised arrangement, Stalin will continue to receive substantial police protection. Security teams will be positioned in the front, core and rear segments of his convoy. The formation will include pilot, escort, backup and close-protection vehicles to safeguard him during travel and public engagements.

Officials described the change as a rationalisation of the deployment rather than a withdrawal of protection.

The number of personnel assigned to Stalin was not disclosed. The new cover will remain in force until the next assessment unless fresh intelligence prompts an earlier review.

Security provided to VIPs and VVIPs in Tamil Nadu is reassessed every six months. The exercise considers intelligence reports, the nature and immediacy of threats, public exposure, travel patterns and protection needs.

A security category may be retained, enhanced or reduced based on the committee’s findings. The downgrade comes months after Stalin and the DMK suffered a drubbing in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election.

The party, which won 133 seats in 2021 and governed for five years, was reduced to 59 seats as actor-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the largest party with 108 seats.

Compounding the setback, Stalin was defeated in Kolathur, his home turf and a constituency he had represented for three consecutive terms.

TVK candidate V.S. Babu secured 82,997 votes against Stalin’s 74,202, registering a victory margin of 8,795 votes. Stalin has since challenged Babu’s election before the Madras High Court.

Despite losing power and his Assembly seat, Stalin remains the DMK president and one of Tamil Nadu’s most prominent opposition leaders.

Officials maintained that the revision of his security was based solely on a professional threat assessment and was part of a routine statewide review of protected persons, unrelated to political standing or the election result.