Ranchi, Nov 9 — Jharkhand Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi has returned his 13-year-old bulletproof vehicle to the state government, citing repeated breakdowns, and has sought a written response from Chief Minister Hemant Soren on the condition of security vehicles and the action taken on his earlier complaints.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Marandi has demanded that the government provide a written response within seven days. He said the bulletproof Safari allotted to him frequently breaks down while travelling, even as he is expected to use it for tours across the state.
Questioning the safety of the arrangement, Marandi asked whether the Chief Minister himself would agree to travel in a vehicle in such a condition. He also urged Soren to direct the Home Department to formally take possession of the returned vehicle and issue an acknowledgement to his office.
Marandi said he had raised the issue with the Chief Minister earlier as well, through a letter dated March 21, 2026, but no effective action had followed.
He pointed out that the Home Department had purchased 17 bulletproof vehicles in December 2024. Of these, three were allotted to the Chief Minister and two to the Raj Bhavan, while the remaining 12 were kept in the headquarters reserve for VIP movement.
Despite the purchase, Marandi said, former Chief Ministers were still being made to use vehicles that were 10 to 12 years old.
He also raised concerns over the condition of three Gypsies used by security personnel deployed for his protection, saying the vehicles were dilapidated and had covered more than four lakh kilometres.
According to Marandi, his personal secretary had submitted a written complaint to the Home Secretary regarding the issue. The Director General of Police and the Inspector General of Police (Provision) had also been informed several times, but no concrete action was taken.
He further alleged that officials had informally told him that there was an instruction from "above" against replacing the vehicles. Marandi sought clarification from the Chief Minister on who had issued the instruction and on what grounds the replacement had been withheld.
The Leader of Opposition also demanded a technical review of the security vehicles provided to all former Chief Ministers under uniform standards, along with details of the action taken on their complaints.
In his letter, Marandi referred to the condition of former Chief Minister Arjun Munda's security vehicles as well. He said Munda's office had sent six letters between July 2024 and June 2026 highlighting the issue, but no action was taken.
He pointed out that a vehicle in Munda's security convoy met with an accident near Chowka on November 6, renewing concerns over the condition of vehicles deployed for the protection of former Chief Ministers.