Some vehicles procured by the Mumbai Police under the Nirbhaya Fund for projects specifically designed to improve the safety and security of women are being used for providing Y-plus security to MLAs and MPs of the Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, officials said. The revelation has triggered a row with Congress and NCP slamming the Shinde-led government for diverting the vehicles to provide security to the lawmakers of the ruling party.
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,” the 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 vehicle for MPs and MLAs of the Shinde faction to provide Y-Plus security cover to them, an official was quoted as saying by PTI.
Later, 17 of the vehicles which were used for the security of these lawmakers were returned to police stations after the requirement was fulfilled. “But 30 Boleros are yet to be returned, which has impacted the police patrolling in the jurisdiction of respective police stations,” the official said.
What is the Nirbhaya Fund?
The Nirbhaya Fund is being given to the state governments by the Centre since 2013 to implement schemes related to women’s safety. The Centre had announced the formation of the Nirbhaya Fund in 2013 in the aftermath of the December 2012 gangrape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in the national capital. It is a non-lapsable corpus fund administered by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance.
In 2019, union minister Smriti Irani said the NIRBHAYA Fund will help set-up women’s help desks in all police stations and anti-human trafficking units in all districts across the nation.
In the 2022 Union Budget, the centre allocated Rs 200 crore under the National Mission for Safety of Women in the Demand of Grant section for the setting up of fast-track courts to ensure the safety of women in the country and optimisation of the efficacy of the scheme.
Opposition Demands Audit, Threatens Stir
Responding to the revelations, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant asked “Is the security of ruling MLAs more important than protecting women from abuse?” He further said, “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.”
NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto said, “SUVs bought with Nirbhaya Fund diverted to provide Y-plus security to Shinde legislators. Shameful misuse of power by the Shinde-Fadnavis government. Eknath Shinde’s legislators must hang their heads in shame.”
President of NCP’s Maharashtra unit Jayant Patil said the Nirbhaya Fund was set up by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for the protection of women. “It is shocking that the vehicles procured for helping the police to carry out their duties of protecting women are being misused for protection of the breakaway MLAs. On one hand, the chief minister claims to have the support of the people and on the other hand, each of the breakaway MLA and MP are being provided Y-plus category security which comprises 5 police personnel,” he said in a series of tweets.
Patil demanded that the vehicles be sent back to the respective police stations and said security of women was more important than security of the breakaway legislators.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi slammed the ruling government and said the diversion of central funds is a betrayal to taxpayers. “Maharashtra has a tradition to honour our women and women goddesses. Many times states don’t use these funds, but our government asked for these funds and used them to procure vehicles for patrolling and ensuring the safety of women. Central funds are being misused and that’s a betrayal for taxpayers,” she said at a press conference.
She asked the “unconstitutional CM” to give clarification and urged the DCM to provide answers. “We ask the unconstitutional CM to give clarification. Also, the DCM of Maharashtra should give answers. The most non-performing Women and Child Development Minister must answer,” she said.
Noting that if the allegations were false, then why hadn’t any leader from the Shinde faction issued a statement on the issue, she demanded an audit of the funds. “If there is no truth in this why hasn’t anyone spoken or defended this? We demand an audit for these funds,” she said.
Chaturvedi said the party will raise the issue of misuse of the Nirbhaya funds in the parliament session.
The MP also cornered the state government over the recent incident in Palghar after a woman jumped off with her 10-month-old daughter to escape molestation in a moving cab on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway.
“This woman was feeling unsafe and jumped from the car along with the kid. That’s why prevention is more important to avert such crimes against women,” Chaturvedi said. She also attacked the lack of female representation in the ruling Shinde government.
Shiv Sena legislator and spokesperson Manisha Kayande sought clarifications on the number of vehicles allocated for Y-plus security of the legislatures and asked whether the decision was made by the city police or the home ministry.
MP Chaturvedi warned the Maharashtra government that if it failed to answer to the allegations, the party would launch an agitation within seven days.
Responding to the allegations, former MLA Krishna Hegde said the Opposition should look into the allocations for the Nirbhaya funds before making claims and the cost of the SUVs used were less than 1 per cent of the central funds were spent on protection and security of women. “Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders should first go through the statistics of the released and allocatted Nirbhaya funds by the Centre and at Maharashtra State level before making allegations. The cost of Bolero’s used is not even 1% percent of the funds allocated and spent for the protection and security of women in the State,” he said
(With inputs from PTI)
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