‘Safety of women more important’: NCP’s Jayant Patil responds to Express report on Nirbhaya Fund vehicles being given to MPs, MLAs

NCP's Jayant Patil demanded that the vehicles bought using the Nirbhaya Fund be returned to police stations immediately

NCP leader Jayant Patil. (File photo)

Responding to an Indian Express report on Nirbhaya Fund vehicles being allotted as part of Y-plus security to legislators belonging to the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led government, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jayant Patil said that safety of people and women of the state is more important than that of MPs and MLAs.

“On the one hand the Chief Minister claims that the public is with him. On the other hand he provides Y plus security to each of his MLAs and MPs. If the public is with them, then what exactly are they afraid of?” Patil asked in a series of tweets.

He further demanded that the vehicles bought using the Nirbhaya Fund be returned to the police stations immediately.

निर्भया निधी महिलांची सुरक्षितता, महिलांवरील गुन्हे रोखण्यासाठी केंद्रातील तत्कालीन युपीए सरकारने तयार केलेला होता. या निधीतून पोलिसांच्या कामकाजात सुलभता यावी म्हणून वाहने खरेदी केली गेली. मात्र खरेदी केलेल्या वाहनांचा उपयोग फुटीर आमदारांच्या संरक्षणासाठी केला जात आहे. pic.twitter.com/DY9EQhJYFY

— Jayant Patil- जयंत पाटील (@Jayant_R_Patil) December 11, 2022

According to The Indian Express report, in June this year, the Mumbai Police purchased 220 Boleros, 35 Ertigas, 313 Pulsar bikes and 200 Activas at the cost of over Rs 30 crore using the Nirbhaya fund — a corpus set by the Centre in 2013 for state governments to implement schemes for the safety of women. By July, the vehicles had been distributed to police stations.

However, with all the 40 MLAs and 12 MPs of the Eknath Shinde-led Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena faction, which is part of the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, being provided “Y-plus with escort” security, in July, 47 Boleros were urgently requisitioned from police stations by the Motor Transport department of the Mumbai Police following an order from the VIP Security Department. Of these 47 Boleros, 17 were returned and 30 are yet to be returned.

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