New Delhi: Delhi is set for heightened security on Friday, with around 32,000 police and paramilitary personnel expected to be deployed across the Capital ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) proposed “Lehra Do Tiranga” march demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Delhi Police will deploy more than 6,000 personnel in and around Connaught Place and other parts of central Delhi, in addition to approximately 26,000 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel stationed in the Capital over the past week.
The security arrangements come amid tensions following the arrest of CJP co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were taken into custody on Tuesday and sent to five days of judicial custody on Wednesday.
CJP convenor Abhijeet Dipke has called for the flag march at 5 p.m. on October 16. Student organisations, activists and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters are also expected to participate.
Police Deny Permission For Large March
Delhi Police have said permission has not been granted for a large-scale gathering at Central Park in Connaught Place. Authorities have also imposed prohibitory restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in Connaught Place and surrounding areas.
Neha Yadav, deputy commissioner of police and public relations officer, said the CJP had appealed to people to assemble at Central Park with the national flag, while the AAP had urged its supporters and members of the public to join the protest.
“Given the current security situation, a prohibitory order under Section 163 of the BNSS is already in effect in Connaught Place and surrounding areas,” Yadav said.
She added that the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) had informed police that Central Park would remain closed on October 16 and 17. The civic body has also sought security arrangements to prevent unauthorised entry into the premises.
Police said market and trade associations in and around Connaught Place had submitted written requests seeking protection for their shops and establishments, citing concerns that large gatherings were affecting business.
Authorities have appealed to people not to participate in gatherings that violate prohibitory orders or disrupt public order. Yadav said police were willing to consider permission for a small group of protesters to conduct a flag march at an alternative location.
Arrests Trigger Fresh Protest Call
The proposed march follows Tuesday’s arrests after Das, Ranka, CJP national organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde and 11 others allegedly climbed over a locked gate to enter Jantar Mantar, which has been de-notified as a protest site.
Police subsequently said the group had been placed under preventive arrest.
After being produced before a special executive magistrate on Wednesday, Shinde and the 11 others were released, while Das and Ranka were remanded to five days of judicial custody.
Following the arrests, Dipke announced the “Lehra Do Tiranga” march, keeping the demand for Kumar’s resignation at the centre of the party’s protest campaign.
Heavy Paramilitary Deployment, CCTV Surveillance
Senior police officers said approximately 220 CAPF companies, comprising around 26,000 personnel, had been stationed across central Delhi and other strategically important locations.
The deployment covers New Delhi, neighbouring districts, border areas and other sensitive locations. According to a senior officer, 30 CAPF companies will operate in each shift, with three shifts planned during the day. The number could be increased to 60 companies in a single shift if the situation demands additional security at night.
The scale of the deployment is among the largest in the Capital since the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, an officer said.
Police have also installed more than 10 CCTV cameras around Central Park and Rajiv Chowk to monitor the situation and record potential violations or untoward incidents.
Authorities are preparing for a possible turnout of 30,000 to 50,000 people, officials said, although the actual attendance remains uncertain.
The October 16 protest comes amid heightened political tensions over the CJP’s demand for the chief election commissioner’s resignation, with police maintaining that security restrictions are necessary to prevent disruption in one of the Capital’s busiest commercial and public areas.
