Maha downgrades security cover of ex-cm, MNS chief
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has reduced the security of leader of opposition in the assembly Devendra Fadnavis and his family, former UP governor Ram Naik and MNS president Raj Thackeray, and withdrawn the security cover of state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil.
State BJP spokesman Keshav Upadhye termed it as “vendetta politics”, while former chief minister Fadnavis said this would not impact his plans to travel and meet people.
As per a government notification issued on January 8, Fadnavis will now get ‘Y-plus security with escort’, instead of the ‘Z-plus’ cover. The security of his wife Amruta Fadnavis and daughter Divija has been downgraded from ‘Y-plus with escort’ to ‘X’ category. Former Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik will now get ‘Y’ cover instead of ‘Y-plus’.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s security cover has been downgraded from ‘Z’ to ‘Y plus with escort’. The security covers of BJP leader and former CM Narayan Rane, state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil and senior party leader Sudhir Mungantiwar have been withdrawn. Rane had ‘Y-plus’ security.
The government, as per the notification, has upgraded the security of two persons, downgraded of 11, withdrawn of 16, while 13 new people have got security cover.
Prominent among the new persons to get security are Sunetra Pawar, wife of state deputy CM Ajit Pawar, and Varun Sardesai, secretary of the Yuva Sena and nephew of CM Uddhav Thackeray’s wife Rashmi Thack
DEVENDRA FADNAVIS, Former Maha CM
eray. Both have been given ‘X’ security cover.
Union minister Ramdas Athawale will get only ‘Y-plus’ instead of the ‘Y-plus with escort’, while central minister Raosaheb Danve’s ‘Y-plus’ cover has been withdrawn. The government has also withdrawn the security cover of former minister Rajkumar Badole, BJP MLAS Prasad Lad and Ram Kadam, and former speaker and BJP legislator Haribhau Bagde.
The state has also withdrawn the ‘X’ category security of former Mumbai Congress chief Kripashankar Singh, who quit the party, and BJP’S former minister Shobhatai Fadnavis, an aunt of Devendra Fadnavis.
Senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam’s ‘Y-plus with escort’ cover has been upgraded to ‘Z’, while film actor and Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha’s ‘Y-plus’ cover has been upgraded to ‘Y-plus with escort’.
Meanwhile, state BJP spokesman Keshav Upadhye said, “The decision shows what kind of a mindset the government has, and it is unfortunate.”
Reacting to the government’s decision, Fadnavis said he had no complaints or worry. “I am a people’s person and this doesn’t impact my travel to meet people,” he said.