Maha downgrades security of Fadnavis, Raj Thackeray
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has scaled down the security cover of several political leaders, including former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his family, former Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik and MNS president Raj Thackeray. The government has also withdrawn the security cover of state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil.
In an order dated January 8, the security cover of around 13 people was scaled down, while the security of special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam and Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha was upgraded from Y-plus to Z and Y-plus to Y-plus with escort, respectively.
Fadnavis’s security has been reduced from Z-plus to Y-plus with escorts, while his family’s has been downgraded from Y-plus to X category. Raj Thackeray’s security has been scaled down to Y-plus with escort from Z, Republic Party of India (A) chief and Union minister Ramdas Athawale’s escort facility has been removed from the Y-plus category.
Former minister of state for home and Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar, too, is among the leaders whose security was scaled down from Y-plus to Y category.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has termed the move unfortunate and a “vendetta” of the ruling coalition against his party’s leaders. Fadnavis, who is at present leader of opposition in the state Assembly, alleged that the government was now giving security “on the basis of politics”, and that this would not impact his plans to travel and meet people. “Currently, the security cover is being given on a political basis. Few people do not have threat perception but are given strong security. I do not have an issue with it. I feel the government can take any decision.”
State home minister Anil Deshmukh, however, rejected the allegation. “The decision about the change in security was taken by a committee of five top home department officials, based on the threat perception. During the BJP government in the state, the security cover of Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar, too, was scaled down. The decision is not political, but based on the threat perception to the leaders,” he said.