Centre not an authority on deployment of CPMF during polls: Jaiswal

Lucknow, Dec 17 (UNI) Union minister of state for Home Sri Prakash Jaiswal today said Centre was not an authority on the deployment of Central Para military Forces during assembly elections and it only followed the directions of the Election Commission.

Interacting with reporters here after attending a function organised by Jaiswal Samaj, the Minister was responding to a query on the BJP's demand that Central Forces be deployed in the state during the coming assembly elections to ensure fair play.

''I cannot answer on BJP's demands...it is upto the EC to seek forces from the Centre. We cannot deploy forces on our own,'' he said and added that forces were deployed whereever the EC wanted.

The minister said he had not official information about the incident at the Kot Balwal jail in Jammu where some inmates -- including militants and foreign mercenaries -- clashed with jail security over checking of cells.

UNI NAB KN VD RK1805