The Delhi Police have made strict preparations for the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) unauthorised “Lehra Do Tiranga” march on 16th October (Friday). 25,000 police and paramilitary officers have been stationed in New Delhi and the surrounding regions, and CCTV cameras have been installed at Central Park of Connaught Place and Rajiv Chowk Metro Station. Furthermore, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) are in effect.
The agitation has been called in response to the arrests of CJP leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who attempted to illegally enter the Jantar Mantar after it was de-notified as a protest site. The group has organised a demonstration at Central Park. Aam Aadmi Party and All India Students Association (AISA) national president Neha Bora would also be present there.
People have been advised by the Delhi Police not to gather in Central Park. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) issued a notification stating that the area will remain closed to the public on Friday and Saturday “due to administrative reasons.” Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar presided over an official meeting with all top police officers, including the Joint CP and DCP of the New Delhi district, prior to the event.
According to a senior police official, closing Metros could also be used as a last resort, The Indian Express reported. Prohibition orders were already imposed in Connaught Place and adjacent areas to “maintain peace and protect lives and public and private property,” based on a statement sent to the media on Thursday night by DCP (PRO) Neha Yadav. She highlighted that no permission was granted for the event, but police would facilitate a certain number of people to sing the national anthem and hoist the flag in a suitable location.
About 25,000 personnel will be posted throughout New Delhi by Friday, as 5,000 more will be called for the march. Additionally, several detention buses were parked in front of Palika Bazaar, one of Central Park’s main commercial centres. On Thursday, around sixteen of them were positioned between Tolstoy Road and Sansad Marg.
220 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been reserved for New Delhi, as an officer shared, “Out of the 220 companies, 30 companies will work in each shift. There will be three shifts during the day. They will be deployed in New Delhi, surrounding districts, borders and other important areas. If the crowd swells during the night and we need more security, we will increase the strength to 60 companies in one shift.”
The cop further outlined, “Since there were hardly any cameras at Central Park and a huge gathering of at least 30,000-50,000 people is expected, we have installed new cameras. The cameras are only there to record the gathering and collect evidence in case of any violations or untoward incidents.” Ten CCTV cameras were set up in and around Rajiv Chowk and Central Park.
Another officer warned, “We will take action against offenders. Senior officers are planning the course of action for the march. We are also calling in force from other districts, as Connaught Place is a large area and cannot be covered simply with barricades. It is not narrow. There are many entry points, and it will be tough to guard all of them without disturbing the public and affecting law and order.”
Police could also erect barricades, but no roads have been blocked. The official police statement even included statements made by CP trader associations requesting safety from potential unrest and illegal gatherings throughout the holiday season.
Moreover, local businessmen have conveyed their frustration concerning the consequences they have experienced stemming from CJP’s protests, both current and earlier. “We had not even recovered from the July protests (against NEET paper leak), and now this. This is the festive season, and in the first month, we have already been closed for four days now,” a store owner expressed while talking to the IE.
“They have a right to protest, but we also have a right to life. You are protesting for a better tomorrow, but don’t kill our present,” the New Delhi Traders Association president mentioned. He informed that the local business fell to 10% during the July CJP campaign against the NEET paper leak, adding, “There are around 25,000 workers dependent. Central Park is no place to protest.”
Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the CJP, called a “Tiranga Yatra” on Wednesday following the arrest and five-day judicial custody of his co-convenors, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. They were apprehended for breaking into Jantar Mantar just two days after CJP leaders were released by an executive magistrate on the condition that they “maintain peace” and “good behaviour” for a year.
They were detained on 10th October for organising an illegal protest, demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls.
