Around 23,000 CAPF personnel and 20,000 Delhi Police personnel will be deployed for the October 10 protest
Border surveillance is planned; Metro stations and markets could close if required.
Opposition leaders met in Connaught Place as demands for Kumar’s resignation continued.
Central government is planning an extensive security deployment ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) October 10 protest demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, NDTV reported.
Around 23,000 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel are being deployed in the capital. The Union Home Ministry has approved 221 CAPF companies for October 8–12, apart from 110 additional companies provided to the Delhi Police, NDTV reported citing sources.
The 110 companies comprise 85 from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 10 from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), seven each from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Rapid Action Force (RAF), and one from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
Another 20,000 Delhi Police personnel will be deployed during the protest, sources said.
For comparison, around 150 CAPF companies were deployed during CJP’s July protest at Jantar Mantar, while 93 were deployed during the farmers’ protest.
Neighbouring states, including Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, have also been asked to remain alert ahead of the nationwide protest call.
Border Checks, Possible Metro Closures
Security personnel will maintain strict surveillance at Delhi’s borders, railway stations and bus terminals, according to sources as reported by NDTV. Multi-layered barricades are planned, with CCTV feeds monitored from a control room. Officials said facial recognition cameras would also be installed across the capital.
Police could also close all Metro stations in the New Delhi area and shut markets if required.
Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which allows executive magistrates to issue urgent orders to maintain public order, will also be in force. No protests or public gatherings will be permitted, sources added as reported by NDTV.
CJP To Protest On October 10
CJP spokesperson Saurav Das announced the nationwide protest call on Wednesday, with a demonstration proposed at Jantar Mantar on October 10.
Speaking to reporters, Das said he would formally inform the Delhi Police about the demonstration and cooperate on security, law and order, and traffic arrangements.
The call follows protests by INDIA bloc leaders against the Election Commission in Delhi, during which Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several others were detained and subsequently released.
Opposition Leaders Meet In Connaught Place
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge reached Connaught Place for his second consecutive lunch meeting with Opposition leaders.
"Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge ji has invited all the MPs for lunch here in Connaught Place (CP). We have all gathered here. Our protest remains ongoing. As we stated earlier, this demonstration will continue until Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar tenders his resignation. This has now transformed into a mass movement, a people's movement, and it will expand to such a massive scale that it will shake the government," said Rajeev Shukla.
