Delhi Police have imposed restrictions on gatherings across the entire New Delhi area under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, while deploying additional personnel around Jantar Mantar, Parliament Street, Connaught Place and key government offices amid the possibility of fresh protests.
The restrictions were in place on Saturday after around 2,000 people gathered in and around Connaught Place a day earlier for a protest described as ‘Lahara Do Tiranga’. Police had not granted permission for the gathering, which was scheduled to take place at Central Park at 5 pm. By Friday evening, police had removed protesters from the Connaught Place area, and around 150 people were detained and later released, according to the report.
Jantar Mantar remained barricaded, while security personnel were positioned near the Ashoka Road roundabout and at three entry and exit points on Tolstoy Marg and Parliament Street. Additional barricades were placed on Ashoka Road and Jai Singh Road to prevent crowds from assembling, an officer familiar with the arrangements said.
The latest deployment followed information received by the Delhi Police intelligence branch that some left-wing organisations could organise a women’s march outside the Delhi Police headquarters. The organisations have alleged sexual violence by police during protests. A senior police official said permission had not been granted for protests anywhere in the New Delhi area and that the security arrangement was prepared to respond to any sudden gathering.
Security was also increased outside the Delhi Police headquarters and the headquarters of the Election Commission of India. The wider deployment included areas around Jantar Mantar, Parliament Street, the Election Commission office and Connaught Place. Security personnel were also deployed outside the residences of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and other senior ministers, the report said.
More than 200 companies of central armed paramilitary forces, comprising approximately 20,000 personnel, were available to assist Delhi Police in handling protests across the city, according to a senior police officer. The largest deployment was made in central Delhi, where several protest locations and major public institutions are concentrated. Around 10,000 Delhi Police personnel were also kept in reserve for protests and marches.
The security restrictions have affected some of the capital’s most prominent public spaces and administrative corridors. Jantar Mantar is a designated protest location, while Connaught Place is a major commercial and pedestrian district. Barricading and restrictions on movement in these areas can affect access for commuters, businesses, visitors and journalists, although the report does not specify the duration or detailed operational scope of the order.
On Friday, police and CAPF personnel began a heavy deployment around Connaught Place from Thursday onwards because permission had not been granted for the proposed protest. By Friday afternoon, Central Park’s entry points had been closed and the park was occupied by security personnel. Police officers also conducted a flag march on surrounding footpaths and restricted movement near the protest site.
The current restrictions remain linked to the police assessment that further demonstrations or marches may take place in central Delhi. Police have not reported a major protest announcement by the Congress or the organisation identified in the report as the ‘Cockroach Janata Party’. The immediate next step is continued deployment and monitoring around New Delhi’s protest sites, government offices and major public institutions.
