Maharashtra: Amruta Fadnavis gets Y+ security upgrade with traffic clearance vehicle, Deputy CM backs decision

The Maharashtra government’s clearance to a security upgrade for Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ wife Amruta has sparked a row with the Shiv Sena questioning the decision and drawing parallels with the security cover provided to the family of former CM Uddhav Thackeray under the erstwhile Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government. With the decision raising several eyebrows, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stepped up to defend the government’s decision, which entails and upgrade from X to Y+ security for Amruta Fadnavis, an escort vehicle and five policemen guarding her at all times. 

Ironically, the go-ahead for the upgrade was cleared by the state intelligence department, which falls under the Fadnavis-led Home Department, reported The Indian Express. Besides the security upgrade, the Home Department has also assigned a ‘traffic clearance vehicle’ to Amruta, which will allow her seamless travel on roads with the traffic cleared beforehand.

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According to the IE report, the Protection and Security Department of the Mumbai police has already communicated the recent developments in connection with the necessary arrangements to the traffic personnel. However, Amruta is yet to avail the recently-assigned traffic clearance vehicle, as per the IE report.

Speaking to IE, Devendra Fadnavis said that the necessary arrangements were made based on an assessment of the threat perception and not upon Amruta’s request. According to Fadnavis, Amruta did not even apply for the traffic clearance vehicle, and has requested the police not to provide her with the same.

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Fadnavis said that the allotment of the traffic clearance vehicle to his wife had nothing to do with any position of power and was based only on threat perception, pointing out that the same facilities were extended to the entire Thackeray family and many private persons as well. Fadnavis argued that several people, who were not even legislators, were provided with Z or Z+ security under the MVA government.

Several police officials told IE that a traffic clearance vehicle was only provided to people holding constitutional posts. While Aaditya Thackeray refused to respond to Fadnavis’ claims, a Sena leader told IE that even though Rashmi Thackeray, wife of Uddhav, and Tejas, were provided two escorts, there was no traffic police assigned to them.