Mobile internet services have been suspended within a four-kilometre radius of Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from 10 pm on Friday until 10 pm on Saturday ahead of a protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI), Delhi Police sources said.
The Union Home Ministry has approved the decision, the sources said, adding that the suspension would be limited to mobile internet services in the designated area.
Internet services in the rest of the national capital will remain unaffected.
The move comes amid heightened security arrangements ahead of the October 10 mobilisation called by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and several student organisations.
The protesters are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls and the electoral process.
Delhi Police has divided the New Delhi district into 20 zones to manage the situation and regulate movement around sensitive areas, sources said.
Each zone will be monitored by a joint commissioner, a deputy commissioner and an additional deputy commissioner of police to ensure close supervision of security arrangements, they said.
Special commissioners heading various units will also closely monitor the zones and coordinate with senior officers, whenever required, to respond to any law-and-order situation, a source said. Additional CCTV cameras have been installed at key locations in New Delhi, Central Delhi and North Delhi districts as part of the security measures, the source added.
Security has also been stepped up at the borders connecting Noida with Delhi, with police personnel and Border Security Force (BSF) jawans deployed at key points ahead of the protest.
At the Chilla border, personnel from the Noida and Delhi police, along with BSF jawans, have been deployed as part of the heightened security arrangements. Police teams have begun checking vehicles considered suspicious and questioning people wherever necessary, officials said.
Security personnel are keeping a close watch on buses, taxis and private cars entering Delhi from Noida. Vehicles are being stopped for checks as part of efforts to prevent any untoward incident during the protest. Reinforced concrete (RCC) barriers have also been placed at the border to strengthen security.
Sources suggested that police could move to seal the border around 9 pm on Friday, though official confirmation of the proposed measure was not immediately available.
Several social organisations, members of farmers' unions and leaders of some political parties in Noida have alleged that police have placed them under house arrest ahead of the protest.
"I have security personnel from police and other forces at my home and around it, and I am not allowed to go out. My associates who are farmers' rights activists also informed me about a similar situation with them. I wish to participate in the protest in Delhi tomorrow along with fellow farmers," Sukhveer Khalifa, president of Bhartiya Kisan Parishad, an influential farmers' body in Noida, told PTI over the phone.
There was no official response from authorities to these allegations. Phone calls to senior officials remained unanswered.
Office-goers worried
The heightened security arrangements and transport restrictions have also raised concerns among residents of Noida and Greater Noida who commute to Delhi and Gurugram for work. Some said they might seek leave or permission to work from home, while others were concerned about traffic congestion, diversions and delays.
Gopal Rajput (28), a translator working at a private hospital in Delhi and a resident of Greater Noida, said he was unsure how he would reach his office in Saket on Saturday. "I have no idea how I will reach my office tomorrow in Saket. There will be no Metro service and it would be too costly to book a private cab," he said.
Rajput said security checks could consume additional time and lead to traffic congestion, making the commute more difficult.
Ranjan Bhardwaj, a resident of Noida's Sector 58 who works at an IT company in Gurugram, said he planned to drive to work but was apprehensive about reaching on time.
"I will go by my car, but I have doubts whether I will reach the office on time. Maybe I will not reach, because there will be diversions and traffic-related issues due to the proposed protest," he said.
"Usually I go by Metro, but due to tomorrow's protest, I would have to go by car," he added.
Another resident said she would seek permission to work from home, citing difficulties in commuting to Gurugram by cab and her dependence on Metro services. "I rely on the Metro; it will be difficult for me to reach Gurugram by cab. I would ask my boss to allow me to work from home for tomorrow," she said.
However, an official of the Gautam Buddh Nagar Traffic Police said there would be no restrictions on the movement of daily commuters.
The Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) has also said its services will operate as usual on Saturday, following the regular weekend timetable.
"There will be no change in Noida Metro operations. Passenger services will continue on Saturday as per the usual Saturday schedule," an NMRC spokesperson told PTI on Friday.
The clarification comes amid restrictions on Delhi Metro services ahead of the protest.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has announced the closure of entry and exit gates at 57 stations from 9 pm on Friday until further notice, with interchange facilities to remain available at the affected stations, except at New Delhi station. Train services at the identified stations may also be regulated depending on the situation.
The NMRC operates services between Noida and Greater Noida, and its metro line does not enter Delhi's territorial limits.
The Railways has cancelled certain Mail and Express trains scheduled to arrive at New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations between 4 am and 2 pm on Saturday. Train operations at other stations in Delhi will remain normal. Retail liquor outlets across Delhi will also remain closed on October 9 and 10.
The Delhi Police has denied permission for the demonstration and imposed prohibitory orders in the New Delhi district, citing concerns over public safety, law and order and traffic management.
Authorities have also set up barricades and made additional security deployment arrangements to prevent large gatherings and regulate movement towards sensitive locations.
The CJP and other groups have called for a mobilisation on October 10 over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls and are demanding Kumar's resignation.
(With inputs from PTI)