NEW DELHI: Checks at Delhi’s borders and barricaded roads inside, mobile internet snapped and metro stations shut — Delhi Police has put in place stringent measures to stop protesters from gathering at Jantar Mantar on Saturday morning. Central Delhi looked like an impregnable fortress by Friday night.
The fortified city is expected to see around 35,000 security personnel, including those from Delhi Police and paramilitary forces, to stop what the authorities estimate will be a crowd of 20,000 from reaching Jantar Mantar. The protest is scheduled to start at 10am. Police sources said extra forces were requested because the gathering during the Cockroach Janta Party protest in June-July had been “underestimated”.Mobile internet services in a 4km radius from the Janpath-Kartavya Path crossing were snapped at 10pm on Friday. The curbs will continue till 10pm on Saturday. Entry and exit at 57 metro stations (later reduced to 45) were stopped till further notice, after Delhi Police’s Transport Range wrote to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, citing the possibility of “unruly crowd movement towards sensitive locations”.Apart from this, more than 30 blockade points — including some at the borders — have been identified. “Those attempting to create anarchy or move towards the protest site will be detained immediately. The plan is to stop them at the city’s borders,” an officer said.Joint CP Nupur Prasad said CJP submitted its request to hold a protest on Saturday at “very short notice” and hence permission could not be granted. The application was received on Oct 7. “As per the prescribed guidelines, such applications must be submitted at least 10 days before the protest,” she said.
‘Prepare for storm… practise restraint,’ cops on ground told
Referring to the June-July protests, JCP Nupur Prasad said, “On an earlier occasion, when CJP was granted permission to hold a protest, they failed to follow lawful directions and adhere to the undertakings they had submitted. Consequently, in view of their failure to comply with legal directions and undertakings, and considering the current requirements for maintaining public safety, law and order and traffic regulations, permission for the proposed protest at Jantar Mantar has been denied.”CJP co-convener Saurav Das, however, said the police had known about the protest since Oct 2 when they had announced it. The 10-day timeline is to ensure that adequate security forces are deployed and traffic arrangements are made, he said, pointing out that even before Oct 2, forces had been deployed as other outfits were protesting on the same issue.“This shows that all of this is an excuse. And we vehemently disagree with the very concept of seeking ‘permission’ from govt to protest against it. It’s absurd and doesn’t make any sense. It’s a colonial mindset,” he said.Personnel at some entry points have been asking motorists about their destinations to keep a check on any movement towards central Delhi.Joint Commissioner of Police (Northern Range) Madhur Verma posted on X Friday: “Prepare for the storm. Practise restraint. Protect the peace. Because the true strength of the police is not merely in controlling a crowd, but in doing so with discipline, dignity and minimum force.”Delhi Police also posted an open letter to citizens on X Friday, invoking duty and humanity, asking people to remember that police personnel have families too.An AI-generated image of a postcard appeared with the message: “Aapki awaaz aapka haq hai, aur aapki suraksha hamara farz. Uniform ke peeche bhi ek insaan hai, jiska apna parivar hai, apne log hain. Faraq sirf uniform ka hai, insaaniyat ka nahi (Your voice is your right, and your safety is our duty. Behind the uniform is a person who has a family and own people. The only difference is the uniform, not humanity).”In a detailed note, Delhi Police justified the curbs put in place: “The right to peaceful protest is an important democratic right. At the same time, New Delhi houses important establishments and offices of constitutional authorities and the safety and convenience of residents, workers, commuters and businesses must also be protected.
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Delhi Police is responsible for safeguarding all these interests while maintaining public order,” it said.“The circumstances surrounding the protests held at Jantar Mantar in July must be taken into consideration. Permission had reportedly been granted for a one-day protest, but the gathering continued for approximately a month. During this period, more than 200 police personnel were injured and over 2,000 individuals with criminal antecedents reportedly participated in the protests, contributing to incidents of violence. As the situation escalated, clashes occurred, resulting in injuries to innocent students as well,” it added.