A day after the dissident faction of Shiv Sena claimed that the Maharashtra govt has withdrawn security given to the family of the rebel MLAs staying in Guwahat, the central govt has now provided them security. According to reports, the Union Home Ministry has approved Y+ security for 15 dissident Shiv Sena MLAs. The families of the MLAs also has been provided with central security.
Under Y+ category security, CRPF personnel will protect the MLAs. The move comes after widespread vandalism by Shiv Sena workers against the rebel leaders, following which the Eknath Shinde led camp had requested the Maharashtra govt to restore the security to their families.
According to reports, the MLAs who have got Y+ security are Ramesh Bornare, Mangesh Kudalkar, Sanjay Shirsat, Latabai Sonawane, Prakas Surve, Sadanand Saranavnkar, Yogesh Dada Kadam, Pratap Sarnaik, Yamini Jadhav, Pradeep Jaiswal, Sanjay Rathod, Dadaji Bhuse, Dilip Lande, Balaji Kalyanar and Sandipan Bhumare.
In a letter addressed to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, home minister Dilip Patil and police DGP along with all Commissioners of police in Maharashtra, the MLAs had said that their security have been withdrawn as part of political vendetta. They had also cited the threats being issued by Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, and vandalism of the officers of two rebel MLAs by Shiv Sena workers.
Therefore, they had demanded the security be restored as per protocol.
The rebel Shiv Sena camp led by Eknath Shinde has the support of 38 MLAs, which is more the required two-third MLAs of the party to defect without attracting the provisions of anti-defection law. The Shiv Sena has moved to disqualify 16 of the MLAs, citing their absence from party meetings despite whips issued by the party. But the rebel camp has rejected it saying it is illegal. They say that whips can be issued only for assembly sessions, not for party meetings, and MLAs can’t be disqualified for not attending such internal party meetings.
With Y+ security provided by CRPF, the rebel MLAs may be able to travel to Mumbai to stake claim that they are the real Shiv Sena.
