Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asks to waive off Z plus security, says no threat to life

DNA: Mumbai: Wednesday, 12 November 2014.

Making his first move towards pro-people regime, Devendra Fadnavis, the new chief minister of Maharashtra has asked the state home department to remove his Z plus security for he believes there is no threat to his life, and hence "unnecessary".

"What is the need of deploying 150 security personnel and a team of doctors for just one person. I don't need Z plus cover as there is no threat to my life. My family also doesn't require the cover," Fadnavis, who is yet to win the trust vote, is said to have told the home department which handles VIP security matters.

However, the home department has reportedly turned down the CM's request by telling him that as an individual Fadnavis might not have a threat to life, but as the CM he has one from the Naxals. On Fadnavis' insistence, the matter has now been referred to a review committee which will evaluate the threat perception and and take a call.

Fadnavis said, "There is no need of 150 people guarding me all the time especially when there is no threat perception. However, the home department insists that the CM of the state has a Naxal threat hence it can't be waived off. Now, a committee is reviewing the matter."

Aam Admi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal, who held the Delhi CM post for 49 days, had also made a similar move.

There has been a lot of public anger across the state against the high security provided to the politicians and other VIPs especially after the 26/11 and other terror attacks.

According to a reply received on an RTI query by activist Vihar Durve three months back, out of 48,969 policemen on duty in Mumbai, 27,740 (55%) were deployed for security of VIPs, which left only 20,000 cops for the security of over 1.24 crore residents of the city.

In India, there are only 137 policemen for every lakh of the population and some Rs341 crore was spent on guarding VVIPs in Delhi last year. Most of this money was spent on 376 individuals given Z-plus or central security forces and Rs40 crore was spent on the security in Rashtrapati Bhawan alone.