The Centre on Sunday granted Y-plus Central Reserve Police force security to 15 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, who are currently in Assam’s Guwahati, PTI reported, citing unidentified officials.
The 15 MLAs do not include rebel Maharashtra minister Eknath Shinde.
The security cover has been provided to Ramesh Bornare, Mangesh Kudalkar, Sanjay Shirsat, Latabai Sonawane, Prakas Surve, Sadanand Saranavnkar, Yogesh Dada Kadam, Pratap Sarnaik, Yamini Jadhav, Pradeep Jaiswal, Sanjay Rathod, Dadaji Bhuse, Dilip Lande, Balaji Kalyanar and Sandipan Bhumare, according to ANI.
Eleven armed personnel protect an individual who is given Y-plus security. Of the total, two personal security officers guard the individual constantly.
The security was given to the rebel MLAs following a recommendation made by central security agencies to the Ministry of Home Affairs, PTI reported, citing unidentified government officials.
The officials said that the security of MLAs and their families is threatened owing to the current political scenario in Maharashtra.
The Maharashtra government is in the middle of a political crisis that began when Shinde reached Guwahati in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Assam from Gujarat on Wednesday morning with a group of rebel MLAs.
Shinde claims to have the support of 46 MLAs, including those from the Shiv Sena and Independent legislators. The rebel MLAs have been demanding that the Shiv Sena break its alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress.
Sunday’s decision to grant security cover to the rebel 15 MLAs also comes a day after Shinde had alleged that the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharasthra government has withdrawn the security cover provided at the residence of the rebel legislators. He alleged the action was an act of revenge.
“Needless to mention, this sinister move is another attempt to break our resolve and arm-twist us to give in to the demands of the MVA government of NCP and INC goons,” Shinde had said in a letter.
However, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil denied any such move by the state government and said that Shinde’s allegations were “false and mischievous”, according to The Indian Express.
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