New Delhi: Delhi Police has moved to tighten security arrangements in the capital after registering two separate cases over the Opposition’s march to the Supreme Court against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The force has also asked the Union Home Ministry to allow 273 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to remain deployed in Delhi until October 20, citing the possibility of fresh demonstrations.
The cases were lodged at the Barakhamba Road and Tilak Marg police stations on Tuesday in connection with Monday’s ‘March for Democracy’. According to police, the organisers had not received permission for the procession, while officials alleged that some Opposition leaders used a mini-truck to remove or break through barricades put up along the route, as reported by The Telegraph.
The march drew senior leaders from across the INDIA bloc, including Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.
They were joined by activists and supporters protesting alleged deletion of voters’ names and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls carried out under Kumar.
Police Want CAPF To Stay On
Delhi Police has written to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs seeking that the CAPF deployment, originally due to conclude on Monday, be extended till October 20. Officials said the additional presence was needed to maintain law and order and respond swiftly to any developing situation in the capital.
“A total of 301 CAPF companies had been approved for deployment in Delhi, including 221 companies cleared on October 6 and another 80 on October 8,” a source said.
Sources said that of the 80 companies sanctioned later, 28 had still not reported to Delhi Police as of Monday.
The police have also identified several locations that could see demonstrations in the coming days. These include Jantar Mantar, the Election Commission, Parliament House and India Gate. Officials have additionally cited the possibility of protests by the Bhim Army, student bodies and other political organisations.
SIR Row Fuels Protests
Delhi has witnessed sustained protests in recent days against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls in different parts of the city. The Opposition has demanded action over what it describes as large-scale voter deletions and flaws in the revision exercise.
The weekend saw an extensive security build-up across the capital, with 45 metro stations shut and rigorous checking conducted at border entry points. Thousands of demonstrators, including leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party and several former chief ministers, were detained by police during the crackdown.