The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held that protests outside Rajya Sabha MP and former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh’s residence—and his being branded a “traitor”—do not, “ipso facto”, establish a threat to his life and liberty.The Bench also observed that it could not be said Harbhajan Singh’s security cover had been withdrawn abruptly because he had left the party, noting that the Security Review Committee had taken the decision months earlier. The observations came as the court held that no further directions were required to be issued on his petition seeking—among other things—restoration of security cover.Appearing before Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya’s Bench, the State counsel submitted that the withdrawal followed a due threat assessment conducted by the Security Review Committee on March 3, much prior to the petitioner leaving the ruling party.The court was also told that the petitioner had since been provided highly specialised ‘Y+’ category security cover by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) under a Ministry of Home Affairs order dated May 4. The State counsel also submitted that his security concerns would be taken care of by local area deployment depending upon the threat assessment, whenever he visited PunjabAfter hearing the parties, Justice Dahiya observed it could not be said the petitioner’s security cover was withdrawn abruptly due to his leaving the party. The decision to withdraw had been taken by the Review committee much earlier, which had not been not denied.“The protests outside his residence or his being branded a traitor, would not establish threat to his life and liberty ipso facto. The protest was not violent either. Besides, the petitioner has already been provided ‘Y+’ category security through CRPF by the Ministry of Home Affairs and, in addition, the State Government has undertaken to take care of his security through local area deployment whenever he is in the State.  In view thereof, no further direction needs to be issued and the petition stands disposed of,” Justice Dahiya concluded.In his petition, the MP had contended that the impugned order withdrawing his security cover was passed without any fresh threat assessment and without affording him notice or an opportunity of hearing. Harbhajan Singh added he was elected to the Rajya Sabha on April 10, 2022, from the Aam Aadmi Party and was residing in Jalandhar with his family.He submitted that a day prior to the withdrawal, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha had announced that he, along with six other MPs, including the petitioner, had left the party. He alleged that his security was then withdrawn without any fresh report regarding threat perception.The High Court, on a previous date of hearing, had questioned the deployment of as many as 23 Punjab Police personnel in his security detail. Taking up the matter, Justice Jagmohan Bansal had then observed that official records prima facie reflected sanction for only eight personnel and 15 police officials had apparently been unofficially attached.