PTI Wires
Representative Image (Pic Via Twitter)
Amid speculation on the price and other details of the Mercedes Maybach added to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security detail, government sources said on Wednesday that the new cars are not an upgrade but routine replacement as BMW had stopped making the model used for him earlier.
'The cars cost much less than the media speculation, in fact it is about one-third of the price quoted in the media,' an official source said. The price quoted for a Maybach car in a section of the media is over Rs 12 crore.
Official sources said the SPG security detail has a six-year norm to replace vehicles used for the protectee, and the previous cars were used for eight years under Modi, leading to an audit objection and comment that it was compromising the life of the protectee.
'The decisions relating to security detail purchases are based on the threat perception to the protectee. These decisions are taken independently by the SPG without taking views of the protectee.
'The widespread discussion on the security features of the protectee's car is not in national interest as it puts in public domain a lot of unnecessary detail. This only threatens the life of the protectee,' the source added.
Officials asserted that Modi has not given any preference on which cars to use and noted in this context that Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the past used Range Rovers which were actually procured for the then prime minister.
Cars manufactured by BMW are among those used by the prime minister over the years.
(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest