CEC protest puts Delhi Police on high alert as 26,000 security personnel prepare for October 10

The planned protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday, October 10, has prompted an extensive security operation, with more than 26,000 personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and the Delhi Police preparing to manage demonstrators arriving from different parts of the country.

The latest mobilisation differs from the demonstration held two months ago over the NEET-UG paper leak, when protesters demanded the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. This time, the focus is on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leading the campaign for his removal over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.

The preparations have expanded beyond the deployment of security personnel. Police have issued guidelines for journalists, introduced body-worn cameras on a large scale and brought in additional photographers to document events. They are also preparing for the possibility of demonstrators arriving by road, rail and air, while facing criticism over allegations of misconduct and questions about police accountability.

The situation has become more complicated as political parties, lawyers, farmers' groups and student organisations prepare to mobilise separately or in support of the protest.

26,000 personnel and 221 CAPF companies

The security deployment is among the largest Delhi has witnessed in recent years. More than 26,000 personnel from the CAPFs are expected to work alongside the Delhi Police, in a mobilisation comparable in scale to major security operations during the February 2020 Assembly elections, US President Donald Trump's visit and the Delhi riots, all of which took place in the same month.

According to an earlier report, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs approved at least 110 additional CAPF companies from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

The additional companies arrived from Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh to join the 111 companies already stationed in Delhi. Each company has a sanctioned strength of 120 to 130 personnel, although around 75 to 80 are generally deployed. Together, the 221 companies will operate alongside the Delhi Police.

A police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, recalled that fewer than 200 companies had been deployed during the February 2020 elections. Additional forces brought in for the elections were retained for Trump's security arrangements, the officer said. During the subsequent riots, a substantial section of the CAPFs was deployed to the affected areas and could be moved to control violence in north-east Delhi only after the US president had left.

CJP protest draws support from multiple groups

The CJP's preparations for Saturday's demonstration have coincided with mobilisation by several other organisations, increasing the challenge for security agencies.

Lawyers' groups have announced a march from Patiala House Court to Jantar Mantar. Advocate Mehmood Pramod appealed on social media for lawyers to assemble at Gate 4 of Patiala House Court at 11 am on October 10 before proceeding towards the protest site.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader and spokesperson Rakesh Tikait has also announced his support for the CJP and is expected to travel to Delhi for the demonstration.

Meanwhile, Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other opposition leaders have been protesting at several locations, including Jantar Mantar, the Election Commission headquarters, Akashvani Bhawan, Rajghat and Connaught Place. Their movements across the capital have required police to manage multiple gatherings rather than concentrate solely on one location.

Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has also said she may join the CJP's protest on October 10, although she has indicated that a final decision was yet to be made. She was expected to participate in the INDIA bloc's activities in Delhi and join a delegation of opposition leaders seeking a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu.

It remains uncertain how the different groups will coordinate their movements or where they will assemble on Saturday.

Police prepare to intercept demonstrators at city entry points

The possibility of protesters travelling to Delhi by road, rail and air has added another layer to the security arrangements. Police are preparing to intercept activists at airports, railway stations and bus terminals, although the arrival time and routes of prominent CJP leaders remain uncertain.

Protesters have warned that they may demonstrate wherever they are stopped, creating the possibility of confrontations beyond Jantar Mantar.

A police officer said prohibitory orders were then in force in the New Delhi area, but authorities could extend restrictions on the assembly of four or more people to locations outside airports and railway stations depending on the situation on Saturday.

CCTV cameras and loudspeakers have also been installed across the New Delhi area. The loudspeakers broadcast recorded messages urging people not to hold protests or gather in large numbers.

The police response reflects the difficulty of managing a demonstration that could involve several groups moving through different parts of the city, rather than a single stationary gathering.

Security arrangements for Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi

The detention of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other opposition leaders has also highlighted the additional responsibilities of personnel tasked with protecting political figures.

When opposition leaders were detained and taken by bus to Kingsway Camp on Tuesday night, CRPF personnel were aboard the vehicle. They had not detained the leaders themselves but had been picked up from the same location where the Delhi Police detained Rahul and Priyanka.

Despite the police action, CRPF personnel responsible for protecting the Congress leaders must ensure that their protectees are not harmed or taken to an unknown location without the security team being aware of their movements.

Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi have Z-plus security cover provided by the CRPF and are among the dignitaries assessed as having a high threat perception. Until November 2019, they and their mother, Sonia Gandhi, who was then Congress president, were protected by the Special Protection Group (SPG), India's elite security agency.

In 2019, the Centre replaced the Congress family's SPG cover with Z-plus security provided by the CRPF. The SPG was retained exclusively for the Prime Minister's security. The CRPF currently provides Z-plus protection to around 25 dignitaries, including Union home minister Amit Shah.

A senior CAPF officer explained that personal security officers must accompany protected individuals in vehicles when they are taken into custody or detained. The officers must also ensure that the protectees are not harmed by the police or by members of a crowd.

The officer said photographs from the recent detentions showed personal security officers inside the bus, as required by the security protocol.

Media guidelines trigger questions about police accountability

The Delhi Police have issued a media advisory specifically for journalists covering the protests. Released on October 5 under the title 'Guidelines for Journalists', it sets out instructions on how media personnel should operate at protest sites.

Journalists have been directed to display valid identity cards at all times and avoid obstructing police operations. During tense situations, they have been advised to maintain a reasonable distance from the action and position themselves so that they can be clearly distinguished from protesters.

The advisory followed police claims that many people present at the sites were social media influencers rather than accredited journalists. Over recent days, police personnel have checked the identity cards of people covering the demonstrations, with some reportedly detained because they were not associated with accredited media organisations.

The guidelines have, however, prompted counter-advisories from citizens and media groups, who have called on police personnel to display their badges or name tags while on duty.

Several officers have reportedly been seen without visible name tags, raising questions about identification and accountability. Critics have also urged the police to refrain from assaulting peaceful demonstrators and to respect women, amid an allegation of molestation against a police officer.

The competing advisories have added to tensions between demonstrators, journalists and law enforcement personnel, with transparency and the identification of officers becoming prominent concerns.

Liquor shops closed across Delhi, schools under review

The Delhi excise department ordered all liquor shops across the capital to remain closed for two days from Thursday. The deputy commissioner of excise cited inputs from the Delhi Police and described the measure as preventive, intended to maintain law and order.

A police officer said closures of liquor shops during elections were common, but a citywide order for a single protest at Jantar Mantar was unusual.

The officer said the decision followed a meeting on Thursday morning, after authorities received inputs suggesting that disruptive elements might attempt to disturb public order.

Area-specific closures had previously been imposed during incidents such as the 2020 Delhi riots, when shops in parts of north-east Delhi were shut, and the 2014 Trilokpuri riots, when closures were ordered in parts of the Mayur Vihar area, the officer said. However, the officer added that a closure across the entire city for one protest was unprecedented in nearly two decades of service.

The police had yet to decide whether schools in the New Delhi area would function on Saturday. An announcement was expected on Friday.

Body-worn cameras and photographers deployed to document events

The Delhi Police began deploying body-worn cameras on Tuesday following allegations that police personnel had molested journalists and social media influencers covering the protests.

At least 150 cameras were being used by forces deployed in the New Delhi district to document events, record interactions and preserve evidence in response to allegations of misconduct.

Although traffic police personnel have used body-worn cameras for years, officers said their deployment on this scale for protest management was unusual.

Such cameras are also used by the Army's special forces, the National Security Guard (NSG), the CRPF, prison guards and BSF personnel. They help document interactions and activities during operations and routine duties, including at border posts, prisons and traffic signals.

The Delhi Police have assigned the crime branch to investigate a molestation allegation against an assistant commissioner of police (ACP). Police have also accused protesters of targeting women police officers and exploiting the crowds to assault them.

In addition to body-worn cameras, police teams have hired photographers to record events and preserve photographs and footage as evidence, supplementing the work of their own personnel.

The measures underline the competing demands facing the authorities: preventing disorder, managing multiple protest groups, protecting vulnerable individuals and documenting the conduct of both police personnel and demonstrators.