Delhi Election: BJP Claps Back At Kejriwal For Questioning Deployment Of Gujarat RPF Ahead Of Polls

Days after Punjab Police personnel were removed from the personal security detail of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP leader has alleged that Gujarat Police personnel have now been added to his security cover, questioning the rationale behind the decision.

The Punjab Police were directed by the Election Commission and Delhi Police on Thursday to withdraw their personnel from Kejriwal's security detail.

Photo Credit: PTI

According to sources within the Delhi Police, the arrangement of having police personnel from two different states for Kejriwal's security was against the law.

On Saturday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor posted screenshots on X of a Gujarat Police order regarding the deployment and expressed his dissatisfaction.

"Read this order of Gujarat Police. The Election Commission has removed Punjab Police from Delhi and deployed Gujarat Police. What is going on?" he wrote.

Responding to Kejriwal's remarks, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi clarified that the deployment was in accordance with an Election Commission (EC) directive involving multiple states. He criticised Kejriwal for singling out Gujarat.

"I'm surprised you're not aware of the Election Commission's norms. They've requested forces from various states, not just Gujarat. As per their request, eight companies of SRP from Gujarat were sent to Delhi for the scheduled election on January 11. Why the selective mention of Gujarat, Kejriwal ji?" Sanghvi said.

When elections are conducted in any state, the Election Commission coordinates with the Home Ministry to request police personnel from various states for poll duties. Armed police are deployed to help maintain law and order, under the EC's supervision, and they oversee polling booths and related responsibilities.

For the Delhi elections, 250 police companies were requested, but Delhi Police only received 220 companies from different states, sources confirmed. These personnel are assigned tasks such as managing flying squads, interstate border checks, area surveillance, and securing sensitive polling stations.

Kejriwal's criticism of the EC's decision has drawn backlash from the BJP, with the party accusing the AAP leader of fearing defeat in the upcoming Delhi elections. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said Kejriwal should be aware of the standard security protocols established by the Election Commission.

On Friday, Delhi Police sources disclosed that over recent days, Punjab Police had deployed more than 10-12 armed personnel for Kejriwal's security, allegedly violating the guidelines set forth in the "Yellow Book," a security protocol.

The sources further argued that if an incident were to occur in Delhi, responsibility would rest with the Delhi Police rather than external forces.

As such, they asserted that the security of individuals should be managed by the police force of the state in which they are currently located.