Intelligence agencies in consultation with the Union Home Ministry have decided to further tighten the security of Sonia Gandhi [Images], president of the Indian National Congress and chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance following the intercepts of top anti-India militant outfits.

According to The Times of India, the threat perception comes from Al Qaeda [Images] and constitutents of United Jihad Council -- an umbrella of anti-India terror groups based in Pakistan.

The head of the VIP security has alerted B V Wanchoo, head of the Special Protection Group, about the intelligence inputs gathered from various sources.

A former chief of Intelligence Bureau told rediff.com that since Sonia is an important political figure, and belongs to the Gandhi family, the government cannot afford to take risks, and those incharge of her security must immediately take up adequate security measures, review her security set up and stregthen it further to provide her with the best security cover. Especially when she would be campaigning for the party in the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh next year.

According to the report in the newspaper, some of the top Lashkar-e-Tayiba militants have holed up in Meerut. "I am sure our agencies are capable of taking care of the threat perception," said a senior intelligence official.