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Union minister Chirag Paswan said he received a death threat in an anonymous letter which said that he will be “killed shortly by hardcore terrorists”.

Chirag Paswan is currently protected by a nationwide Z-category security cover. (File Photo/PTI)Paswan's additional private secretary wrote to the home secretary to bring his attention to “matter of grave concern” regarding “personal security” of the union minister for food processing industries.

Paswan is currently protected by a nationwide Z-category security cover.

According to the letter, Paswan's ministry received “unsigned communication” which contained two mobile numbers on Tuesday and carried a “direct threat” to the minister's life.

“The threatening portion of the communication, excluding the mobile numbers mentioned therein, reads: “You will be killed shortly by hardcore terrorists.”” the letter read.

"The contents of the communication, particularly the direct nature of the threat and the reference to "hardcore terrorists", are a matter of grave concern and give rise to serious apprehensions regarding the safety and security of the Hon'ble Minister. The original communication is enclosed for kind perusal," it added.

Paswan's office requested urgent and prior attention to the matter and a probe into who sent the threat and how authentic it is. It also requested a review of Paswan's security arrangements.

“In view of the above, I am directed to request that the matter may kindly be taken up on an urgent basis and a thorough investigation into the origin, authenticity and circumstances of the threatening communication may be initiated without delay. It is further requested that the security arrangements of the Hon'ble Minister may be reviewed and suitably augmented, as considered necessary, in view of the threat perception and his scheduled public engagements,” the letter said.

Apart from the home ministry, the letter was also sent to the CRPF and the Bihar government to highlight the threat.

On Saturday, August 30, Paswan demanded resignations of Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) founder and Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and his son, Bihar minister Santosh Kumar Suman, for advocating a review of scheduled caste (SC) reservation.

He stressed that reservation is not charity but a constitutional right rooted in historical untouchability and social discrimination, not an economic measure open to periodic review.

The flashpoint is the call for reviewing SC/ST quotas and introducing sub-categorisation.

Hitting back, Manjhi said, “It is not us, but Chirag Paswan who should resign as he is unable to understand the point Santosh and I have been making in the broader interests of Dalits.”