Sun Jan 26 15:02:50 IST 2025: ## Delhi Police Clarifies Troop Deployment Ahead of Assembly Elections

**New Delhi** – Delhi Police has refuted claims by former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that the Election Commission replaced Punjab Police with Gujarat Police in the national capital. In a statement issued today, Delhi Police sources clarified that a total of 290 companies of security personnel from various states have been deployed across Delhi in three phases to maintain law and order during the upcoming February 5th Assembly elections.

These forces include companies from the CRPF, BSF, SSB, ITBP, CISF, RPF, and state police forces from Rajasthan, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chandigarh, and Himachal Pradesh. Seven to eight companies were from Gujarat Police. The deployment, sources said, was in response to a request for 250 companies to handle tasks such as flying squads, interstate border checks, area domination, and securing polling stations and counting centers. Requests for additional support remain pending from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh due to ongoing farmer protests and the Maha Kumbh Mela.

Kejriwal’s allegation specifically targeted the deployment of eight companies of the Gujarat State Reserve Police Force (SRPF). However, the Commandant of SRPF, Bhachau, Tejas Patel, confirmed that the deployment was ordered by the Election Commission on January 13th. Furthermore, Punjab’s Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav, stated that Punjab Police personnel assigned to Kejriwal’s security were withdrawn at the direction of the Delhi Police and the Election Commission.

Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi criticized Kejriwal for his statement, suggesting a lack of understanding of the Election Commission’s standard procedures for deploying forces from various states during elections. Sanghavi emphasized that the deployment of Gujarat SRPF companies was routine and part of a broader request by the Election Commission to several states. The upcoming Delhi Assembly elections will be held on February 5th, with vote counting on February 8th.

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