India
oi-Madhuri Adnal
Delhi is preparing for a major security operation ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) proposed “Delhi Chalo” protest, with the Centre clearing the deployment of thousands of additional Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) as demonstrations demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation gather momentum.
Around 11,000 additional central force personnel are expected to be deployed in the national capital over the coming days. The move will take the overall strength of CAPF personnel available in Delhi to around 26,000, one of the biggest deployments for law and order duties in the city since the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, officials familiar with the arrangements said.
Delhi authorities are deploying approximately 26,000 security forces, including 11,000 additional CAPF personnel, for the CJP’s planned October 10 protest demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
The heightened security comes ahead of the CJP’s October 10 protest, announced after its demonstration in Mumbai last week. Opposition parties, student groups and civil society organisations have already been holding protests against Kumar.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has made 221 CAPF companies, with a combined strength of around 23,000 personnel, available to the Delhi Police between October 8 and 12. Separately, the Centre has approved the deployment of 110 companies during the same period.
A CAPF company has a sanctioned strength of about 120 to 130 personnel, although the actual deployment is usually lower, at around 75 to 80 personnel.
The fresh deployment comes on top of nearly 15,000 CAPF personnel already stationed in Delhi in 111 companies.
The CRPF will form the bulk of the additional deployment, with 85 companies being brought in. The SSB will contribute 10 companies, the ITBP seven and the CISF one. Several CRPF units have been moved from Chhattisgarh and parts of Jammu and Kashmir, including personnel previously deployed in areas affected by Left Wing Extremism.
Officials said at least five of the companies being deployed are all-women units, given the sizeable participation of women in the protests.
The Delhi Police is also preparing to substantially increase its own deployment. From around 5,000 personnel currently involved in the arrangements, the force could raise the number to about 15,000 if required.
Rather than waiting for protesters to reach the protest zone, the Delhi Police has begun focusing on movement into the capital and possible congregation points.
SHOs have been asked to monitor major entry routes, including the eastern and Shahdara borders with Uttar Pradesh and routes from the southwest, particularly the Rajasthan side. Barricades are expected to be placed at key entry points.
Police are also keeping an eye on buses travelling towards the New Delhi district. Officers have been told to track bookings and destinations and alert local units if they detect organised movement of protesters.
Educational institutions and paying guest accommodation owners are also being approached to discourage students from joining the proposed demonstration.
Another concern for the police is the possibility of protesters turning any point where they are stopped into an impromptu protest site.
“The leaders are putting on social media that if protesters are stopped anywhere, they should just sit where they are stopped. We have to ensure that doesn’t happen,” a police officer said.
The police have therefore instructed officers to ensure that protesters do not sit down or stage demonstrations anywhere in the New Delhi district.
Police Tracking People With Criminal Records
The security arrangements also include surveillance of individuals previously identified as having criminal antecedents.
Senior officers have directed SHOs to track around 2,800 people identified through the Facial Recognition System (FRS) as having criminal records.
“The idea is to know who is moving towards the protest site and from where,” a police officer said.
The police cited the July protests at Jantar Mantar to explain the heightened surveillance. At least 2,873 protesters were then identified as having alleged criminal antecedents. Among them, 989 had allegedly been booked in cases involving heinous offences, including 101 murder cases.
October 10 Protest Yet To Get Police Permission
Unlike the July agitation, the proposed October 10 protest has not received police permission so far.
CJP spokesperson Saurav Das, however, said on Wednesday that the organisation had informed the police about its plans.
With the possibility of a large turnout, authorities have also discussed preparing temporary detention facilities at stadiums across Delhi. These could be used if protesters arrive in large numbers, refuse to disperse and choose to court arrest.
The arrangements are expected to remain in place through October 12, covering the period during which the CJP’s proposed mobilisation is expected to take place.
