Sources in Delhi Police have spoken to clarify the situation, following claims by former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that Election Commission had directed its police to replace Punjab Police with Gujarat Police in National Capital Territory.
Sources say 220 companies of security personnel have been deployed in Delhi, including units from the CRPF, BSF, SSB, ITBP, CISF, and RPF. As many as 70 companies have been sent from Rajasthan, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chandigarh, and Himachal Pradesh. It says the deployment was done in three phases, with seven to eight companies coming from Gujarat alone.
The decision to beef up security was taken after a requirement of 250 companies sought to maintain law and order ahead of the February 5 Assembly elections. The deployed security personnel will be tasked with flying squads, interstate border checking, area domination and securing the critical polling stations. They will also be deputed at counting centres and quick response teams.
A response is still awaited from the Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh Police, given the ongoing farmers’ protests in Punjab and Haryana, besides the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj.
Kejriwal had questioned the rationale behind deploying eight companies of the State Reserve Police Force from Gujarat, which arrived in Delhi on January 13 under the Election Commission’s orders, confirmed SRPF Commandant Tejas Patel.
The Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav, further added that the state police personnel deployed in the security cover of Kejriwal were withdrawn on the instructions from the Delhi Police and the Election Commission.
Reacting to Kejriwal’s tweets, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi lashed out at him for his “misconceptions” about Election Commission norms. “It’s astonishing that as a former Chief Minister, you don’t know Election Commission norms,” the minister said on social media. He said the forces were demanded from several states and not Gujarat alone, and SRP deployment was routine. “Why the selective mention of Gujarat Kejriwal ji?” he asked.
Polling for all 70 assembly seats in Delhi is scheduled for February 5, with vote counting set for February 8.
