A day after media reports brought to light that several vehicles procured by the Mumbai Police under the Nirbhaya Fund, meant to be used for fighting crimes against women, were instead being used as escort vehicles for MPs and MLAs of the ruling Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction since July this year, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP today wrote to the Maharashtra Director General of Police demanding that the said vehicles be immediately withdrawn.

“It has been widely reported that the Maharashtra Home department has diverted almost 40 vehicles procured under the Nirbhaya Fund for escorting MLAs of Shinde faction. This decision…is highly condemnable as the basic premise of the entire Nirbhaya Fund stands defeated,” the letter to the DGP by NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Bharat Tapase reads.

“NCP demands the immediate withdrawal of the said vehicles deployed for MLAs’ security and to be sent back to the Nirbhaya Squad,” the letter adds.

Also Read: ‘Frenemies’ Thackeray, Shinde join ranks amid backlash over Governor Koshyari’s ‘Gujarati’ remark

What is the Nirbhaya Fund?

The central government had set up a dedicated fund called the ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ for the implementation of measures and initiatives aimed at ensuring the safety and security of women in the country.

The fund was set up by the then Congress-ruled UPA government in 2013 following the gruesome rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in the national capital on December 16, 2012. Since 2013, the state governments received the Nirbhaya Fund from the Centre to implement schemes related to women’s safety.

What happened to the Nirbhaya Fund in Maharashtra?

According to The Indian Express, the Mumbai Police purchased 220 Boleros, 35 Ertigas, 313 Pulsar bikes and 200 Activas at the cost of over Rs 30 crore under the Nirbhaya fund in June this year. These vehicles were subsequently distributed to police stations across the state by July.

However, 47 Boleros were urgently requisitioned from police stations by the Motor Transport (MT) department of the Mumbai Police following an order from the VIP Security Department, allegedly to provide security to the MLAs of the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena. As per the IE report, of the 47 Boleros requisitioned, 30 are yet to be returned to the respective police stations.

Nirbhaya Funds ‘diverted’: Opposition corners Shinde govt

The revelation has triggered a sharp reaction from the Maha Vikas Aghadi with Opposition parties cornering the Shinde government for placing the security of its legislators above the need for women’s security.

Former CM Uddhav Thackeray said the revelation exposes the true mindset of the MLAs using these vehicles. “We all know why Nirbhaya squad was made. It is to protect and help our mothers and sisters who are in distress. If the vehicles allotted to this squad are being used to protect MLAs, citizens should understand the attitude of these people,” said Uddhav.

Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said they would launch a protest in seven days if the Shiv Sena faction does not return the vehicles for the purpose for which they were acquired. “This is nothing but embezzlement of government funds. The funds being provided by the Centre for a purpose are being used for private security,” she said.

Also Read | Karnataka-Maharashtra border row: Why two BJP-ruled states are at loggerheads

“Is the security of ruling MLAs more important than protecting women from abuse? It is appalling and outrageous to see the Nirbhaya Fund, which is meant for the Nirbhayas of Maharashtra, being used for the security of MLAs,” Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said.