The Centre is considering the withdrawal of the country’s elite commando force — the National Security Guard (NSG) — from VIP security duties, a long-standing demand of the force as it was originally designed to combat terror.

According to sources, nine "high-risk" politicians are presently being guarded by the NSG black commandos.

A home ministry official said: "The ministry is considering a proposal to completely withdraw the NSG from VIP security duties."

According to the official, the nine “high-risk” politicians include Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, BSP chief Mayawati, defence minister Rajnath Singh, veteran BJP leader and former deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, Union shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal, BJP leader and Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Nearly 450 "black cat" commandos are expected to be freed from VIP security duties once the ministry takes the final decision in this regard, sources said.

The NSG brass had been asking the government since 2011 to relieve the force from VIP duties, saying the mandate of the NSG was to focus on counter-terror operations.

"We have in the past urged the government several times that it is unfair to deploy the NSG's specially trained commandos for VIP duties," an NSG official said.

The NSG was raised in 1984 following Operation Blue Star and the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to combat terrorists.