Punjab VIPs flooding Capital told to share travel plans with Delhi cops

With canvassing picking up pace in the national capital, Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora has written to Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, flagging concerns over Punjab VIPs moving in the city without intimating the local police.

The Tribune has learnt that Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, responding to Arora's letter dated January 18, stated that his force had issued relevant instructions to Punjab ministers, MPs and MLAs to inform the Delhi Police about their movement there.

“The ADGP (Security), Punjab, has issued instructions that in view of the heightened security alertness in connection with Republic Day and Delhi Assembly elections, the protectees of Punjab Police while travelling to Delhi should intimate their tour programme and security details to the DCP Security (SG) of the Delhi Police,” read Yadav’s letter.

Subsequently, Punjab's Additional Director General of Police on January 20 wrote to top officers of the state, including personal assistants of MLAs, MPs and ministers, asking them to provide information to the Delhi Police about their tour programme while travelling to the Capital. The ADGP also said the escorts and other security personnel with the state police protectees should not interfere with the normal flow of traffic.

The issue of lack of information about the VIP movement to the Delhi Police first surfaced at an inter-state coordination meeting earlier this month where the Capital's police force pointed out that its local security was not being informed about the presence of police personnel accompanying VIPs from other states, including Punjab.

The Tribune had earlier reported a potential threat to AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal from pro-Khalistan elements -- an input the Punjab Police had shared with their Delhi counterparts.

Following this intelligence input, Kejriwal's security arrangements were reviewed by Delhi cops. Kejriwal is a Z+ protectee with a comprehensive protection coverage comprising 63 personnel.

The Delhi Police had on January 6 received a letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs directing it not to accept a proposal from Punjab to deploy its police personnel in Kejriwal's security detail while the AAP chief was in Delhi.

It was after this communique that a top officer from the Delhi Police had raised the issue of the movement of Punjab Police personnel in Delhi without sharing the relevant details.