Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-SP chief Sharad Pawar, who was recently accorded Z-plus security cover, is said to have turned down the security upgrade, days after he saw in the Centre’s move an attempt to spy on him ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls.

Last week, the Centre had accorded Z-plus — the highest category of armed VIP security cover — to the 83-year-old former Union minister.

Reacting to the Centre’s decision, Pawar had told reporters that the security cover accorded to him could be an arrangement to get “authentic information” about him as the Assembly polls were around the corner.

He also said that he was not told about the reason behind the sudden security upgrade.

Sources in the Union home ministry said on Friday that Pawar was accorded Z-plus cover by the CRPF VIP security wing after a recent threat assessment review.

"He is said to have declined the proposals to deploy additional security personnel inside his house in Delhi, change the vehicle he uses to travel within the city and that he be escorted by two security personnel inside his car,” said a ministry official.

Following the threat assessment, a team of 55 armed personnel from the CRPF was earmarked as part of Pawar’s Z-plus security cover.

Pawar’s NCP is a part of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which also has the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress.