Some of the vehicles procured by the Mumbai Police earlier this year under the ‘Nirbhaya Kosh’ (Nirbhaya Fund) to fight crime against women are currently being used by MLAs and MPs of the Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Y-Plus is being done to provide security. The opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party attacked the Shinde government, asking whether the safety of ruling legislators was more important than the safety of women.
The police officer said that in June this year, the city police had purchased 220 Boleros, 35 Ertiga, 313 Pulsar bikes and 200 Activa at a cost of more than Rs 30 crore received under the ‘Nirbhaya Fund’. Since 2013, funds are being given by the Center to the state governments through the ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ to implement schemes related to women’s safety.
The official said that after the vehicles were procured in June, they were distributed to all 97 police stations, cyber, traffic and coastal police units in July.
Of these vehicles, 47 Boleros, he said, were requisitioned from several police stations by the Motor Transport Department of the Mumbai Police following an order from the VIP security section of the state police, which stated that MPs and MLAs of the Shinde faction were These vehicles are required to provide ‘Y-Plus’ security.
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He added that however, 17 of the vehicles used for the security of these MPs were returned to the police stations after the requirement was met.
But 30 Boleros have not yet returned, affecting police patrolling in the jurisdiction of the respective police stations, the official said.
The Congress and the NCP criticized the Shinde-led government for using vehicles to provide security to MPs of the ruling party.
Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant asked whether the safety of ruling legislators was more important than protecting women from abuse.
He said that the use of Nirbhaya Fund for the security of MLAs is appalling and humiliating.
NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto said the SUVs purchased from the Nirbhaya Fund were used to provide Y-plus security to the Shinde MLAs. Shameful misuse of power by the Shinde-Fadnavis government. Eknath Shinde’s MLAs should die of shame.
NCP’s Maharashtra unit president Jayant Patil said the Nirbhaya Fund was set up by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for the safety of women.
He said it was shocking that vehicles purchased to help the police in carrying out their duties of protecting women were being misused for the security of MLAs. On the one hand, the Chief Minister claims to support the public, while on the other, the MLAs and MPs who have defected are being provided Y+ category security, which includes 5 policemen. He asked if people are with you, what are you afraid of?
Patil demanded that the vehicles be sent back to the respective police stations. Also said that the security of women is more important than the security of Dal Badlu MLAs.
