Ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party's planned October 10 gathering at Jantar Mantar, Delhi Police put in place an expanded security arrangement, with officers directed to detain anyone who attempted to take part in the protest and a deployment of over 35,000 police and paramilitary personnel anticipated.
Delhi Police deployed reinforced security around Jantar Mantar on October 10 in advance of a rally organised by the Cockroach Janata Party. Orders went out to law enforcement units directing them to take into custody any individual who attempted to assemble for the purpose of a demonstration, with no exception made for the location chosen. No authorisation for the protest had been issued, according to the position put forward by police.
An order from Delhi Police to Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) units barred the release of weapons to personnel assigned to the protest deployment. Officers assigned to the CJP demonstration were given authorisation to carry lathis and batons, a provision that had not been extended to police at the earlier INDIA alliance protest. A directive went out to personnel to avoid verbal exchanges with demonstrators, citing concern that footage might be captured and shared in ways intended to cast the force in an unfavourable light.
Formal correspondence addressed to the relevant directorates was forwarded outlining the proposed deployment and allotment arrangements. Female officers drawn from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana were deployed to bolster the security operation already under way. Authorities had anticipated stationing upwards of 35,000 combined Delhi Police and paramilitary officers along the protest route.
A detailed operational plan covering roughly 30 road stretches expected to be affected by the October 10 protest was drawn up by Delhi Traffic Police, Additional CP Traffic Dinesh Kumar Gupta indicated, with personnel set to be deployed along each of those corridors in line with a formal advisory the force circulated. Traffic diversions were standing by for deployment should any disruptions or obstructions materialise along the route.
Gupta addressed security arrangements at Delhi's borders, noting that traffic police personnel were stationed at those crossings and that any individuals whose entry into New Delhi had been restricted would be turned back if they attempted to approach. Travellers were advised to consult the traffic police notice before setting out. Traffic diversions would be put in place if the situation called for it, with updates to follow through the Facebook page, social media channels, and official traffic advisories. Motorists heading into New Delhi were directed to consult the three road stretches identified in the traffic advisory.
Along the 30 affected stretches, movement faced some restrictions, though authorities ruled out full blockades or road closures. Six designated holding locations were established for protesters taken into custody, among them Chhatrasal Stadium, Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Yamuna Sports Complex, Surajmal Stadium, Community Centre Daulatpur, and Community Centre Pandrawal.
Broad monitoring arrangements across the heart of the capital were taking shape within Delhi Police planning. Among the surveillance tools anticipated for deployment were facial recognition technology, an expanded network of CCTV cameras, personnel stationed on rooftops, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
A number of student bodies and political organisations were anticipated to join the CJP demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Protesters gathered to press for the removal of Gyanesh Kumar from his post as Chief Election Commissioner. No authorisation for the gathering had been issued, officers indicated.