Delhi security deployment will remain in place for about a month, with nearly 20,000 paramilitary personnel continuing to be stationed across the capital amid political demonstrations and preparations for increased crowds during the upcoming festive period, according to information attributed to officials.
The decision to retain the security forces has been linked to both the ongoing protests and the expectation of heavier footfall at markets and public places during the festivals. Delhi Police personnel are also deployed across the city to support law-and-order arrangements.
Authorities have also designated three locations for protests: Ramlila Maidan, Burari Maidan and CBD Maidan. The designated protest list was announced on Monday, while Jantar Mantar, a long-used demonstration site in central Delhi, has been removed from the current list.
According to the report, security arrangements at the three new locations have been reviewed before they were opened for demonstrations. The sites are expected to be used for permitted protests, with crowd-control arrangements intended to prevent incidents and manage gatherings. The change shifts authorised demonstrations away from Jantar Mantar, where security arrangements have traditionally been tighter because of its central location.
Surveillance has been increased at Delhi’s borders, railway stations, bus terminals and other sensitive areas. Police are checking vehicles at the city’s entry points, while verification of identity documents at hotels, guest houses, lodges and dharamshalas has also been intensified.
The New Delhi district has been divided into 20 zones for monitoring purposes. Officers at the levels of joint commissioner of police, commissioner of police and additional deputy commissioner of police have been assigned to oversee conditions across these zones, according to the report.
The stated objective of the deployment is to prevent unauthorised gatherings and maintain public order. The measures combine fixed security arrangements at protest sites with checks at transport hubs, accommodation facilities and city borders, creating a wider surveillance network across locations through which visitors and protesters may enter or move through Delhi.
The security measures come as leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, marched on Monday evening to submit a petition in the Supreme Court against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The report said the political protest began around demands related to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner. The opposition alliance has also sought to involve students and civil society organisations in the demonstrations.
The continuation of the deployment means residents and visitors can expect heightened checking at entry points, transport facilities and accommodation establishments during the period. Authorities have not provided, in the supplied report, a detailed public schedule for the withdrawal of the paramilitary personnel. The forces are expected to remain in Delhi for about one month while the protest arrangements and festive-season security measures continue.
