EC REMOVES PARAMILITARY FROM VVIP RESIDENCES

Asks Delhi Police to provide security to protected persons

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered the removal of Central paramilitary forces (CPMFs) from the residences of VVIPS in the New Delhi district and has asked Delhi Police to provide security to these protected persons (PPs). Around 1,000 personnel mostly belonging to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were withdrawn on Tuesday and deployed on the poll duty. As a result of the ECI’s diktat CRPF jawans were taken out from the security of at least 67 PPs residing in the Lutyens’ Zone.

This arrangement will be till April 10 when voting takes places in the national Capital for the LS elections. These men will be re-deployed to man the security in and around the residences of the VVIPs but only after April 10. For the time being Delhi Police has been directed to pitch in.

These CRPF personnel have been placed on the disposal of the Delhi Home department and will be deployed in various polling stations in the city. Sources said that the step to withdraw the CRPF personnel from the VVIP security and then deploy them on the poll duty was taken to minimise the posting of Delhi Police personnel in and around polling booths. ECI has ordered the deployment of CPMF jawans along with Delhi Police on the pooling day to ensure that the force behaved impartially and there was no malpractice.

Presence of CPMF personnel is aimed at bringing sanity when Delhiites vote on April 10 to elect seven Members of Parliament (MPs). This will checkmate any attempt to influence the voters once they are inside the premises and also prevent any misadventure if anybody tried to snatch the ballot boxes, the sources added.

A police official said that ECI has sent a communiqué to the Delhi Police officer and asked him to ensure that Delhi Police personnel were posted immediately with the PPs who have been provided security by the CPMF people. Even The personal security officers (PSOs) belonging to the CPMFs have been withdrawn with immediate effect and they have been replaced by Delhi Police personnel.

An official said that these 1,000-odd jawans were imparted training about the electoral process and what they were supposed to do when deployed in and around polling stations. They will be deployed strategically to keep an eye on the imposters and bogus voters and also prevent any unlawful entry inside polling stations.

Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/city/ec-removes-paramilitary-from-vvip-residences.html