Delhi Police has urged its personnel to exercise restraint as the national capital prepares for a major protest on October 10, with more than 25,000 central force personnel expected to be available for deployment and possible restrictions planned across the city’s metro network.
Joint Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma appealed to officers to handle crowds with “discipline, dignity and minimum force”. In a post on X, Verma said the force’s strength lay not only in controlling a crowd but in protecting peace while exercising restraint.
The preparations follow escalating demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the special intensive revision of electoral rolls. The Cockroach Janta Party, which called the proposed protest, sought permission to hold it at Jantar Mantar. Delhi Police denied the request, citing violations of rules during an earlier demonstration, according to a senior police officer quoted by Millennium Post.
The officer said the application was submitted on October 7, only three days before the proposed protest, while the applicable rules require applications to be made at least 10 days in advance. The denial of permission comes as authorities prepare for possible movement towards sensitive locations in central Delhi.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has made around 23,000 personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces available to Delhi Police for deployment between October 8 and 12, officials said. This will take the number of central force personnel in the capital to more than 25,000 during the period of heightened security.
The measures extend beyond policing. The Delhi government’s Excise Department has ordered liquor shops to remain closed on October 9 and 10, citing the prevailing situation and the need to maintain public order. The order was based on inputs from Delhi Police.
Delhi Police has also proposed closing entry and exit gates at 57 metro stations and reducing train frequency. In an October 8 letter, the Joint Commissioner of Police for the Transport Range asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to implement the measures, citing the likelihood of “unruly crowd movement towards sensitive locations”. The supplied report does not specify whether the proposed restrictions have been implemented or identify the affected stations.
A multi-layered barricading plan is expected to be put in place, while CCTV cameras will be used to monitor movement from control rooms. Officials also said face-recognition system cameras would be installed across the capital. The police’s stated operational approach, as conveyed by Verma, combines expanded deployment and surveillance with an instruction to use minimum force while managing the protest period.
