Delhi Police has deployed more than 35,000 police and paramilitary personnel across the national capital ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s proposed protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10, while 46 metro stations remain closed and entry points to Delhi have been cordoned off.
The security operation follows the Delhi Police’s decision to deny permission for the demonstration, which the party has called over demands for accountability regarding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The protest is also directed at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The party has said thousands of people are expected to gather at Jantar Mantar.
Police personnel deployed for the operation are wearing body cameras, including devices capable of recording in dark conditions. A police personnel told ANI that the cameras were intended to document confrontations and address allegations of manhandling involving the force.
“These body cams are to protect us and others. In situations of manhandling, allegations are levelled against Delhi Police. So, these body cams will prove whether we did anything to anyone or not. This will record everything,” the personnel said, according to the report.
Police have instructed teams to detain anyone attempting to stage the protest, regardless of location. A few protesters were detained near Janpath in the Connaught Place area on Saturday as authorities tightened restrictions ahead of the planned mobilisation.
Those detained are to be shifted to six designated locations: Chhatrasal Stadium, Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Yamuna Sports Complex, Surajmal Stadium, the community centre in Daulatpur and the community centre in Pandrawal. Additional women personnel from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have also been called in for the deployment.
The arrangements include facial recognition systems, additional CCTV cameras, rooftop spotters and drones in central Delhi. Police teams have been authorised to carry lathis and batons, unlike during the deployment for an earlier INDIA bloc protest. Central Armed Police Forces units have also been instructed not to issue weapons for deployment related to the demonstration, with letters sent to the concerned directorates regarding the allotment plan.
Teams have been directed to avoid verbal confrontations with protesters amid what police described as alleged deliberate attempts to record and circulate videos portraying personnel in a negative light. The restrictions come alongside a directive from the Union home secretary to states and Union Territories to maintain law and order.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who travelled from Mumbai to Delhi ahead of the protest, questioned the scale of the deployment and said the party intended to demonstrate peacefully. He cited Article 19 of the Constitution and said he was prepared to be detained or arrested.
The proposed protest follows the party’s Instagram announcement that it would hold “Jantar Mantar 2.0” on October 10. Student outfits and political groups are also expected to join the demonstration, according to the report. Delhi Police’s restrictions and the deployment arrangements remain in place as authorities prepare for the gathering.
