Maharashtra Government Downgrades Security Of Fadnavis-Raj Thackeray, BJP Says Its ‘Revenge Politics’

Harleen Kaur Grewal

Mumbai, January 10, 2021: Maharashtra government reduced the security of Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and his family, along with former Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik, and have withdrawn state security from BJP state president Chandrakant Patil.

State BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhyay termed it as revenge politics, while Fadnavis said it would not affect his plans to travel and meet people.

As per the government notification issued on January 8, Fadnavis will be given ‘Y-Plus category protection with an escort instead of Z-Plus category’. The security escort of former Chief Minister’s wife Amruta Fadnavis and daughter Divija has been reduced from Y-Plus category to X category. Former Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik will get Y-class security instead of Y-Plus. MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s security has been downgraded from from ‘Z’ to ‘Y plus with escort’.

BJP leader and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane, state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil and senior party leader Sudhir Mungantiwar’s security has been withdrawn. Rane had Y-Plus class security. The security of the state Lokayukta ML Tahiliani has been reduced from Z category to Y category.

According to the notification, the government has increased security for two people, the security of 11 has been reduced, the security of 16 people has been withdrawn, while 13 new people have been provided with security.

The newcomers to the security include Sunetra Pawar, wife of the state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and Varun Sardesai, Secretary of the Youth Army. Sardesai is a relative of Rashmi Thackeray, wife of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Both are given ‘X class protection. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale will get only Y-Plus category security escort, while Union Minister Raosaheb Danve’s Y-Plus category security has been withdrawn. Rajkumar Badole, BJP MLAs Prasad Lad and Ram Kadam, and former Assembly Speaker and BJP MLA Haribhau Bagde’s security has been withdrawn by the government.

‘X-class security’ of former Mumbai Congress chief Kripashankar Singh and former minister and BJP leader Shobhatai Fadnavis has been withdrawn. Shobhatai is the aunt of former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Y-Plus category security with escort given to senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam has been increased to Z and actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha’s security has been increased from Y to Y-Plus category. Former BJP minister Ashish Shelar’s security has been reduced from Y-Plus category to ‘Y’ category.

State Legislative Council President Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar and Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Vadettivar will be given Y-Plus category security along with escort, while Shiv Sena MLA Vaibhav Naik, who defeated Narayan Rane in the 2014 assembly elections, will get X class security.

State ministers Sandipan Bhumre, Sunil Kedar, Dilip Valsay Patil and Abdul Sattar, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Praveen Darekar and Narhari Jhirwal, Deputy Speaker of the state Assembly, will be given the Y category protection.