Delhi Police are preparing for a major protest in the capital on October 10, with more than 25,000 central force personnel expected to be available for deployment, possible restrictions at 57 metro stations and liquor shop closures ordered for October 9 and 10.
Joint Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma urged police personnel to exercise restraint while managing crowds. In a post on X, Verma said the force’s strength lay not only in controlling a crowd but in doing so with “discipline, dignity and minimum force”.
The security preparations come ahead of a protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party, amid demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the special intensive revision of electoral rolls. Delhi Police have denied permission for the proposed gathering at Jantar Mantar, citing violations of rules during an earlier demonstration, a senior officer said.
The police received the application for permission on October 7, three days before the scheduled protest. According to the officer, the rules require applications to be submitted at least 10 days in advance.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has made around 23,000 personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces available to the Delhi Police for deployment between October 8 and 12, officials said. The additional deployment will take the number of central force personnel in Delhi to more than 25,000.
The measures are expected to affect movement across the capital, particularly around locations identified as sensitive. Delhi Police have proposed that entry and exit gates at 57 metro stations be closed and that train frequency be reduced because of the likelihood of “unruly crowd movement towards sensitive locations”.
In an October 8 letter, the Joint Commissioner of Police for the Transport Range asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to implement the proposed measures. The report does not specify which stations would face restrictions, how long any closures would last or the extent of the proposed reduction in train frequency.
The Delhi government has also ordered liquor shops to remain closed on October 9 and 10. The Excise Department said the decision was based on inputs from the Delhi Police and the prevailing situation, with the stated objective of maintaining public order.
Security arrangements will include multi-layered barricading and CCTV monitoring from control rooms. Face-recognition system cameras will also be installed across the capital, officials said. These measures place Delhi’s transport network and public spaces at the centre of the security response, as authorities prepare for possible crowd movement towards sensitive locations.
The immediate operational decisions for metro stations, including the locations and duration of any gate closures or service changes, remain with the Delhi Police and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation ahead of the scheduled protest on October 10.
