Barricades being unloaded from a police van in New Delhi on Friday.
| Photo Credit: BHAWIKA CHHABRA
The New Delhi district was placed under a security lockdown on Friday, a day before the proposed youth-led protest at Jantar Mantar against alleged irregularities in the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of voter rolls, with thousands of security personnel deployed across the city and barricades placed at several stretches to prevent protesters from reaching the venue.
The police have set up holding facilities in all 15 districts to house protesters detained en route to Jantar Mantar. Facilities such as Chhatrasal Stadium will be used to house the detainees, a senior officer told The Hindu.
The arrangements mark a shift towards decentralised deployment, with police personnel instructed to intercept protesters within their respective jurisdictions rather than concentrate forces at common locations in central Delhi.
A large number of women police personnel from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been deployed to handle women protesters, said sources.
Over 50,000 security personnel from Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces, including the Central Industrial Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal and Indo-Tibetan Border Police, have been pressed into service at public transit hubs, along the border entry points and at sensitive locations in central Delhi, said the officer.
At Jantar Mantar, police have placed barricades on all sides and strung chains across them. Security has also been beefed up at metro stations in the vicinity, including Janpath and Patel Chowk, and additional CCTV cameras have been installed across New Delhi.
Prohibitory orders
During the day, police personnel visited mosques and announced that prohibitory orders are in place in New Delhi under Section 163 of the BNSS and that participation in Saturday’s protest could lead to the registration of FIRs. In one such video, purportedly from Baghwali Masjid in Chandni Chowk, a policeman could be seen asking people not to turn up for Saturday’s stir.
When reached for a response, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Niharika Bhatt said, “No such directions have been given to the local staff by supervisory officers. We are looking into the matter.”
DCP (North East) Rahool Alwal said, “Since the festive season is under way and tomorrow [Saturday] is a weekend, we are expecting heavy footfall in market areas, so traffic coordination is necessary. We are in touch with Uttar Pradesh Police to monitor the flow of traffic.”
He said based on the police’s recommendation, commercial establishments in Connaught Place (C.P.), Chandni Chowk and Karol Bagh have decided to close on Saturday.
In addition, several schools and colleges rescheduled parent-teacher meetings, postponed examinations and shifted classes scheduled for Saturday online.
Published – October 10, 2026 01:34 am IST
