The security of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his family members was thinned, said sources on Thursday. The metal detector installed at the gate of Thackeray's residence- Matoshree - in Mumbai was removed. Also, 2 SRPF (special police force officer) gunmen, 6 police personnel deployed at the gate of Matoshree were removed. Now, 4 policemen remained at Matoshree gate to provide security.
According to Mumbai Police sources, one additional vehicle was removed from the convoy of Thackeray and his family members- sons (Tejas and Aditya) and wife Rashmi Thackeray.
"This is all influenced by politics, whether it is ED raids or scaling down of security. But, they will get the outcome of their doings. What can they (BJP) do maximum, they might shoot us or put us in jail," said Uddhav Thackeray faction MP Sanjay Raut on scaling down of Thackeray's security.
Thackeray's security thinned
Thackeray got Z-plus security in which 1 escort car, 3 QRT commando vehicles and 1 vehicle were deployed to provide him security but now one vehicle was removed from his convoy. Now, his security convoy is reduced to 5 vehicles from 6.
Similarly, Rashmi, Tejas and Aditya have now an escort vehicle under the Y-plus category, a QRT commando vehicle and a special police force officer's vehicle- a total convoy of 3 vehicles which was increased to 4 when Thackeray was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
A year after revolt two Senas observe 'Traitors Day'
The development comes hours after two camps of the Shiv Sena observed 'Traitors Day' marking the first anniversary of the revolt in the Shiv Sena which led collapse of MVA government in Maharashtra.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) led by former CM Uddhav Thackeray observed 'Traitors Day' and vented its anger against the rebel MLAs, while the ruling faction of the outfit headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde marked it as 'Self-Respect Day' and invoked the legacy of party founder Bal Thackeray. The two rival Senas took over each other a day after the party's 57th foundation day celebrations which saw Thackeray and Shinde holding separate events in Mumbai and trading charges.
The Bal Thackeray-founded outfit vertically split after the last year's revolt which also led to the collapse of the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government that consisted of the united Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has written a letter to the United Nations, urging it to declare June 20 as 'World Traitors (Gaddar) Day' to mark the desertion of the party by 40 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde, who led the revolt and later took over as chief minister with the BJP's support. In the letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Raut said on June 20, 2022, a group of 40 legislators from the Shiv Sena broke away from the party after being "instigated" by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Also read- 'Declare June 20 as World Traitors Day', Sanjay Raut writes to United Nations