From allowing food delivery in Jantar Mantar to broken pavements turning into ammunition, Delhi Police and central security agencies have spent the past two months reviewing their handling of the July protests by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) , identifying lapses and preparing for a fresh round of demonstrations on October 2. With protesters from various civil society groups announcing their return to Jantar Mantar on Friday, police officers admit they are better prepared this time, having conducted a 360-degree review of the security arrangements and response to the protests two months ago. The latest demonstrations center on demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar .
Anti-riot drills focus on handling protesters filming police
an entry in the Parliament Street Police Station’s daily diary, as reported by HT, recorded the use of anti-riot guns and plastic pellets by Rapid Action Force personnel during the protest While there has been no official confirmation of pellet-gun use against protesters. “Stones from broken pavements were used as projectiles last time. Some criminals broke stones from the pavements and used them to throw at the police and security forces. This time, while the pavements have been fixed, stretches where repairs were not possible have been identified and are being guarded. CCTV cameras have been placed across New Delhi so this will deter anyone trying to instigate violence. In the past two months, Delhi Police have conducted extensive anti-riot drills across the city and counselled personnel on how to deal with protesters who record them on their phones and go live at demonstration sites. “This was an important aspect of training in the last two days. There were sessions on how not to get perturbed if protesters start recording them on camera and doing live sessions. All these things are new for any force and are not mentioned in any drill. Many people take advantage of this and try to get police personnel on the ground to react, which gives them more hits. The issue has triggered demands for an independent probe into the police response to the protests, particularly allegations that pellets were fired on students. The Supreme Court has already constituted a five-member high-powered enquiry committee headed by former judge Justice R Subhash Reddy to examine allegations of police excesses during the protests.
Another official said police and central armed police forces (CAPFs) had identified stretches in and around the New Delhi area where broken pavements and walls could pose a security risk. The anti-riot and protest-handling mock drills focused on this too,” an officer said.
This went unnoticed previously.
