Mumbai: Days after the Union Government granted him Z-plus security– the highest tier of armed VIP protection– NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar declined the security upgrade on Friday.
The former Union Minister’s decision to refuse the Z-plus security cover comes a week after he expressed suspicion over the Centre’s decision to grant him the security upgrade alongside RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Speaking about the security update, the octogenarian politician told the media that he was unaware of the reason behind the move. “A Home Ministry official told me that the government has decided to give three persons Z-plus security, and I was one of them. I asked who the other two were. I was told RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Union Home Minister Amit Shah,” he said.
“Maybe since elections are approaching, this can be an arrangement to get authentic information about me,” he quipped.
A team of 55 armed personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been designated as part of Pawar’s Z-plus security cover. A threat assessment review by Central agencies had recommended strong security for Pawar, official sources told a news agency earlier.
The Centre’s decision to provide Z-plus security to the NCP (SP) leader sent ripples through Maharashtra’s political arena, as Pawar has often been targeted politically by the BJP. During the 2019 Assembly election, Home Minister Amit Shah raised questions about his contributions to Maharashtra at a rally in Solapur.
This year, while addressing a rally in Pune, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Pawar a ‘bhatakti aatma,’ which did not sit well with Pawar’s supporters. More recently, Shah labelled him as the fountainhead of corruption.
