Sharad Pawar granted 'Z+' security by central government

Sharad Pawar/PTI

The Central government has granted 'Z+' category security to Sharad Pawar, the President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (Sharadchandra Pawar), following a recent threat analysis by the intelligence bureau. The Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to provide the 83-year-old politician with this elite security cover, reported ANI.

According to the ANI report, more than 60 CRPF men will now be in charge of Pawar's protection at home and while he travels across India. This decision comes after the Election Commission of India recognised Ajit Pawar's faction as the original Nationalist Congress Party, with Sharad Pawar forming a new group under his leadership

Sharad Pawar, a notable player in Indian politics, began his career with the Indian National Congress and has held several key government roles. Pawar was first elected to Maharashtra's Legislative Assembly in 1967.

Pawar served as minister of several ministries throughout his stint as an MLA, which lasted until 1978. In 1978, he was elected Chief Minister of Maharashtra, a position he held three times during his political career. He was elected to the Lok Sabha six times and served in numerous significant ministries, including defence (1991-93), under the PV Narasimha Rao government. He left Congress in 1999 to join the NCP after being dismissed for rejecting the party's selection of Sonia Gandhi, a non-Indian, as its Prime Ministerial candidate. He also served as President of the International Cricket Council from 2010 to 2012.

Pawar created the Nationalist Congress Party in 1999, after leaving the Congress, the news agency report stated.

The CRPF's VIP security section, a specialised force responsible for protecting high-profile individuals, will now secure Pawar's safety with the utmost care and professionalism, ANI report stated.

The VIP security cover categories begin with the highest Z+, followed by Z, Y+, Y, and X.

Sharad Pawar on Badlapur sexual assault

Sharad Pawar, the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (Sharadchandra Pawar), condemned the recent sexual molestation of two kindergarten children at a Badlapur school as an extremely tragic episode. Speaking at the party office on Wednesday, Pawar remarked that the subsequent protests represented the public's outrage and discontent.

"What happened in Badlapur yesterday, with the protest on the railway tracks, was an expression of the people's anger," Pawar said.

With PTI inputs