- Friday, April 26, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE prices of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s new Mercedes-Maybach S650 Guard cars are less than what media reports are showing, informed sources told Asian News International.
They said that the actual price of the armoured vehicle is “a third” of the range of prices that are being reported and discussed.
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Media reports said that the new vehicle for the prime minister with enhanced security features came for more than Rs 12 crore (over £1.1 million).
However, decision-makers privy to the information of the particular security upgrade told ANI on the condition of anonymity that the media reports were showing an inflated price and expressed concern that speculation on the car’s security features was not in the national interest as it would divulge details of the vehicle’s security features in the public domain and jeopardise the top political leader’s security.
Sources said the Special Protection Group (SPG) security detail has six years’ norm to replace vehicles used for the VVIP and the previous cars were used by Modi since 2014.
“The procurement of the new cars was made after an audit raised objection over the issue and commented that it was compromising the life of the protectee,” the sources added.
Unlike the incumbent prime minister, who has not given any preference on which cars to use, when protected by the SPG, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi in the past used Range Rovers which were actually procured for the then prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, sources told ANI.
Decisions related to security detail purchases are based on the threat perception of the protectee. The SPG takes these decisions independently without taking the viewpoints of the protectee.
