At least 70 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), comprising around 7,000 personnel, who are currently deployed in West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, are being mobilised for law-and-order duties in Delhi, ahead of the protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on October 10, according to two official communications issued on October 5 and 6.
Shah has since stayed put in Delhi to monitor the situation, even as the Opposition INDIA bloc led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has staged two street-protests in the past three days. The CAPFs work under the command and control of the requisitioning authority during deployment, in this case, the Delhi Police. After the CJP issued a protest call on October 3, urging protesters to converge in Delhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah cancelled his scheduled visits to Telangana, Meghalaya, and Mizoram on October 4 and 5. A proposed visit to Manipur on October 7 was also called off, and Mr. The New Delhi district, where Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site is located, has seen unprecedented security deployment since October 2, when Left parties, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and civil society groups staged protests against the CEC. Jantar Mantar, which was also the site for the CJP’s massive student protest that forced the resignation of the Union Education Minister in July, has been blocked by the police since July 26, with no alternative venue provided for agitations. The Delhi Police has invoked Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), prohibiting processions, rallies, and dharnas in the area. The deployments are in addition to the Delhi Police and other Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) units, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF), the specialised anti-riot unit of the CRPF that came under a cloud for its use of pellet guns against unarmed protestors on July 20.
At least 40 CRPF companies of are being de-inducted from West Bengal “in zero time” for further deployment in Delhi, while another 30 companies from the Chhattisgarh Sector have been asked to remain ready for deployment in the national capital.
