Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis
Credit: PTI photo
Pune/Mumbai: Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan on Saturday said the security cover of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was upgraded after intelligence inputs.
In view of the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls, the state police has buttressed the security cover of Fadnavis, who is also the Home Minister, with ex-Force One personnel as a precautionary measure.
Fadnavis enjoys 'Z plus' security cover at present, which is taken care of by the Maharashtra police's Special Protection Unit, he added.
"Fadnavis' security had been upgraded after inputs from Intelligence," Mahajan, a senior state BJP leader, told reporters in Pune.
However, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut took a dig at Fadnavis on the issue.
"Who poses a danger to Fadnavis? He is the home minister of the state. Is he facing danger from the CM? How can the home minister enhance his security and deploy a commando force which is trained to fight terrorists? Is Israel, Ukraine going to attack Fadnavis," Raut asked.
Mahajan ridiculed Raut and said the latter may even ask why the prime minister enjoys 'Z plus' security cover.
"All such comments are meaningless. Someone may ask why Uddhav Thackeray has been given security," Mahajan said.
Speaking on the issue, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar said if the government thinks there is a threat to Fadnavis then it should take care of it.
But if the home minister, who already has protection, needs additional security then there is a possibility the issue is a serious one, Pawar added.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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