PM Modi’s Renault MD-5’s Denied Registration By NGT. Here's Why

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has denied permission to extend the registration of three diesel-run specialised armoured vehicles which are part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security. The decision to deny permission aligns with the Supreme Court’s decision to ban all diesel cars from plying in the country that are 10-year-old. 

The diesel cars, Renault MD-5, were manufactured in 2013 and registered in the country in 2014, and often spotted as part of PM Modi’s cavalcade during rallies. Although the Special Protection Group (SPG) had appealed to the NGT to reconsider its decision citing they were not regularly used and were also deployed for security purposes, it was to no avail.

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The SPG further stated that these vehicles are an “essential and integral part of Special Protection Group technical logistics. These include both tactical and backup support vehicles. Additionally, none of these vehicles have clocked more than 15,000 km in the last nine years since they were introduced.

The Renault MD-5 is powered by a 4.76-litre, inline-4 turbocharged engine that produces 215 bhp and 800 Nm. Despite its 11-tonne weight, the vehicle can hit a top speed of 110 kmph, and carry up to 10 people.