Is security of MLAs more important than common women? Opposition slams Maharashtra's Shinde govt

The BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde) Maharashtra government came under fire on Sunday after media reports emerged that the vehicles purchased from Nirbhaya fund--meant to be spent for safety and security of women citizens--were being used to provide police escort to MLAs and MPs of the Eknath Shinde faction who have been given Y-Plus security by the state government.

Instituted in 2013, the Nirbhaya Fund is given by the Centre to the states to implement schemes related to women’s safety.

Slamming the chief minister Eknath Shinde-led coalition government, Congress Spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “Is the security of the ruling MLAs more important than saftey of common women citizens? Should these MLAs be called ‘Abla MLAs’ now? It is appalling and outrageous to see the Nirbhaya Fund which is meant for the Nirbhayas of Maharashtra , being used for security of MLAs.”

Sawant's jibe alluded to "abla naari" (helpless woman), a phrase used frequently in the Hindi cinema of the previous century.

The Mumbai Police had in June procured 220 Boleros, 35 Ertigas, 313 Pulsar motorcycles and 200 Activa two-wheelers using the Rs 30 crore corpus that it had received under the Nirbhaya fund. “After the vehicles were procured in June, they were distributed to all 97 police stations, cyber, traffic and coastal police units in July," an official said.

Following an order from the VIP Security section of the state police, 47 Boleros were requisitioned from several police stations by the Motor Transport Department of the Mumbai Police stating that they are required for use as escort vehicles for MPs and MLAs of the Shinde faction to provide Y-Plus security cover to them, an official was quoted as saying by PTI.

“SUVs bought with Nirbhaya fund diverted to provide Y-plus security to Shinde legislators . Shameful and misuse of power by Shinde- Fadnavis government. Eknath Shinde legislators must hang their heads in shame,” said Clyde Crasto, Spokesperson of Nationalist Congress Party .

President of NCP's Maharashtra unit Jayant Patil said the Nirbhaya Fund was set up by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for protection of women but the Shinde government has shown it has scant regard for women's safety.

Criticising the government, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said the diversion of central funds is a betrayal of trust of the taxpayers. “Maharashtra has a tradition of honouring our women and women goddesses. Many a time, states don’t use these fund, but our (Maha Vikas Aghadi) government asked for these funds and used them to procure vehicles for patrolling and ensuring the safety of women."

"But these vehicles procured through central funds are being misused by this government and that’s a betrayal of the taxpayers' trust," she said at a press conference.