Maharashtra govt reduces Devendra Fadnavis & Raj Thackeray's security; BJP cries 'revenge'

Maharashtra government on Sunday decided to reduce the security cover of former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, as well as state BJP president Chandrakant Patil, MLC Pravin Darekar and several others. According to the press release, Maharastra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government has reduced former Chief Ministers' Z-plus security to Y-plus security. Along with reducing the security cover, the bulletproof vehicle allotted to Fadnavis has also been removed. 

Maharashtra govt reduces security cover 

Besides the former CM, Raj Thackeray's Z-security cover has been reduced to Y-plus security cover. The Maharashtra government has removed Chandrakant Patil's Y-plus security cover. Meanwhile, Congress party's Shatrughan Sinha has been given Y-plus security with an escort car. Over a year earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government had withdrawn Special Protection Group (SPG) cover of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in what had snowballed into a major controversy.

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Reacting to the decision to reduce security cover of several BJP leaders, BJP MLA Ram Kadam said that Maharashtra government is daring to remove the security cover of BJP leaders with a sense of 'revenge'. He further said, "if anything wrong happens, MVA government will be responsible. Ram Kadam added, "the end of this 'Damanraj' of yours has now come to a close. Satyameva Jayate."

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Devendra Fadnavis suggests MVA infighting 

On Tuesday, Fadnavis dubbed the current faceoff between Shiv Sena and Congress over the renaming of Aurangabad as a "drama". Speaking to the media, the BJP leader alleged that this was an attempt by the two parties to appease their respective voters ahead of the civic polls in the city. While the election to the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) was due in 2020, it was delayed owing to the COVID-19 crisis.

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AMC Commissioner Astik Kumar Pandey has been functioning as the civic body's administrator since the end of its 5-year term. In 2015, Shiv Sena managed to get its member elected as the Mayor in Aurangabad as it was in an alliance with BJP. Lashing out at Sena and Congress' "fixed match", Fadnavis contended that neither of these parties was serious about their stance on renaming Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar. 

Fadnavis remarked, "This is a drama company. Shiv Sena and Congress are doing this because the election is approaching. Shiv Sena said that it wants to rename Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar as it feels that its voters will become happy. Congress is saying that you (Shiv Sena) should not do this as it feels that its voters will become happy. This is a fixed match because of the impending elections. There is no seriousness. I feel that drama is unfolding."

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