MUMBAI: Two ministers from the Uddhav Thackeray cabinet have demanded that the security cover provided to them be upgraded arguing that the threat to their life has increased.
Housing development minister Jitendra Awhad (NCP) and minister for rehabilitation Vijay Vadettiwar (Cong) raised the issue of threat to their life and demanded that security cover provided to them be upgraded, said a senior CMO official.
The demand was raised during the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the officer said.
The MVA government is providing security cover to former ministers, then why not provide adequate security cover to the existing ministers, the duo argued during the meeting. CM Thackeray then assured the ministers that a comprehensive review of the security provided to all political leaders across the state would be done and an appropriate decision would be taken thereafter.
According to the intelligence reports, Awhad is on the hit list of the Sanatan Sanstha, while Vadettiwar raised the issue of threat to his life from the Maoists in Gadchiroli district.
The erstwhile Fadnavis government had reviewed the security cover provided to political leaders in January 2019 after which the security cover provided to Awhad and Vadettiwar was downgraded. Awhad had then accused the Fadnavis government of acting with a political agenda and not paying heed to the intelligence report. Fadnavis government had reduced security provided to leaders in 2018 also, the ministers had said.
“Investigations in Dabholkar and Pansare murder cases have revealed that reconnaissance was conducted even on my house. But, the BJP government had not provided adequate security to me back then. I feel that the security cover should be increased now,” Awhad said.