Vehicles purchased under Nirbhaya Fund used for protecting Shinde legislators

Some of the vehicles procured under the Nirbhaya Fund to fight crime against women have been used to provide Y-plus security cover to the MLAs and MPs of the Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The development has led to the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi attacking the government and seeking answers from Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the home minister, and Woman and Child Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha.

In June this year, the Mumbai police force 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. The fund is being given to the state governments by the Centre since 2013 to implement schemes related to women's safety.

Also Read: Centre released over Rs 3,024 crore under Nirbhaya fund to states/UTs: WCD ministry

"Of these vehicles, 47 Boleros were requisitioned from several police stations by the Motor Transport Department of the Mumbai Police following an order from the VIP Security section of the state police stating that they are required for use as an escort vehicle for MPs and MLAs of the Shinde faction to provide Y-Plus security cover to them," a police official said.

However, 17 of the vehicles which were used for the security of these lawmakers were returned after the requirement was fulfilled, he added.

"But 30 Boleros are yet to be returned, which has impacted the police patrolling in the jurisdiction of respective police stations," the official said.

“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.

The Opposition parties also asked the Centre to undertake the audit of the funds sent to the state under the Nirbhaya Fund.

“It’s a shameful misuse of power by the Shinde-Fadnavis government. Shinde’s legislators must hang their heads in shame…..what’s going on in the state,” NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said.

Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi indicated that she would raise the issue in the Parliament. “It is serious that the Nirbhaya Fund is being used for protection of ‘khokhe’ (boxes) MLAs,” she said.

“This khoke sarkar doesn’t have a woman minister, men in the Cabinet use derogatory language for women and now MLAs using cars meant to safeguard women, no wonder the crimes against women are on a rise in Maharashtra,” she said.

Addressing a press conference, Priyanka said if the needful is not done in seven days, then her party would protest.