NEW DELHI: The Connaught Place area was fortified on Friday amid the ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Security personnel had completely sealed the area with heavy deployment, RAF vehicles, surveillance cameras and tear gas shell boxes.
More than 6,000 Delhi Police personnel, 220 companies of Central Armed Police Forces and an expanded CCTV camera network were pressed into service on Friday.
The elaborate security arrangements covered Connaught Place, Rajiv Chowk, Central Park, Jantar Mantar, Palika Bazaar, nearby Metro stations and other sensitive locations in Lutyens’ Delhi, with additional personnel being mobilised from other districts to prevent any law-and-order situation.
Even though the march did not witness the participation of any of the top leaders from the CJP or the student unions, about 100-150 people gathered and marched outside the Central Park premises waving their tricolour.
Police had also positioned barricades at several points, including CP, Patel Chowk, ITO and Sansad Marg. Officials said that the focus is on securing multiple entry and exit points in the sprawling commercial district without bringing public movement to a standstill.
According to senior police officials, 5,000 additional personnel have been reserved from other districts to bolster the deployment. Surveillance had also been stepped up, with more than 10 CCTV cameras installed in and around the area.
‘No nod for gathering’
Delhi Police PRO Neha Yadav said the march had not been granted permission and that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS prohibiting mass gatherings were in force in the area. Yadav said trade associations had submitted requests seeking protection for establishments.