The INDIA bloc rally in Delhi, scheduled for Sunday, will be guarded by nearly 10,000 police and paramilitary personnel as the Opposition marches from the edge of Connaught Place to Ramlila Maidan in its largest show of strength yet against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Senior police officers told Hindustan Times that no permission was sought or granted for the march itself, although the Delhi Police have said they will facilitate it.
Route, Permissions and Crowd Estimates
The march is due to set off at noon from near Minto Road Bridge and proceed along Jawaharlal Nehru Marg and Chaman Lal Marg to the ground. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi announced the event on Instagram on Friday. Rohit Rajbir Singh, deputy commissioner of police (central), said the organisers had not approached the force for permission to march, but that the police were coordinating with them on the route and trying to make the procession as smooth as possible.
The rally at the venue itself has been permitted between 10am and 5pm, on the condition that organisers share details of invitees, volunteers and buses and keep speeches clear of anything that could disturb communal harmony. The two sides are preparing for very different crowds. Opposition parties claim that nearly one million people will arrive from across the country, whereas the police have planned for about 50,000, which is the capacity of the ground. Mr Singh said any overflow would be contained on the roads adjoining the venue, with traffic restrictions imposed accordingly.
Why the INDIA Bloc Rally in Delhi Was Called
The “Chalo Dilli” rally has been called over alleged irregularities in the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. It will be the first occasion in a month of agitation on which the Opposition assembles in numbers at a notified venue. Through October, the authorities responded to the protests with Metro closures, internet shutdowns, prohibitory orders and the deployment of 40,000 security personnel.
Jantar Mantar was de-notified as a protest site on October 12, with Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground named in its place. Leaders of the Cockroach Janata Party, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who entered Jantar Mantar the following day, spent more than a week in custody and were released on October 21 after undertaking in writing not to call protests there.
On Saturday, opposition parties held a symbolic “public impeachment” of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence on Rajaji Marg. Mr Kharge read out a resolution accusing the commissioner of participating in a criminal conspiracy allegedly orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to steal elections, describing it as an act of treason and demanding that he be tried in court. These are the Opposition’s allegations, and the BJP rejects them.
The bloc says it was refused the lawns of the Ashoka Hotel and then barred from setting up at Ramlila Maidan before moving the event to Mr Kharge’s home, where rain delayed it by a day. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided, and Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were among those present.
Security and Traffic Arrangements
Of the nearly 10,000 personnel to be deployed, about 3,000 are from the Delhi Police and 7,000 from paramilitary forces, with another 10 companies held in reserve. Every road leading to Ramlila Maidan will be barricaded to stop marchers from heading towards Jantar Mantar or other restricted zones, and one gate of the ground has been reserved for the emergency evacuation of senior leaders. The 270 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces brought into the capital this month will remain until November 16, after their deployment was extended for a third time.
The ground has been divided into eight regions and 14 zones, and nearly 250 high-definition, AI-enabled CCTV cameras will feed a control room at the venue, supported by drones and body-worn cameras. Traffic will be diverted at 10 points during the rally hours, and at least 11 stretches, including Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Aruna Asaf Ali Road, Minto Road and Barakhamba Road, are likely to be affected, according to K Ramesh, deputy commissioner of police (central range traffic). A corridor will remain open for ambulances heading to LNJP and GB Pant hospitals, and commuters have been urged to use the Metro.
Political Reactions
The BJP has accused the alliance of attacking constitutional bodies, with spokesperson Sambit Patra saying the Opposition had made a mockery of Parliament and democracy. Union home minister Amit Shah, who offered on Friday to convene a special session of Parliament on the vote-theft allegations, said Mr Gandhi wanted drama on the streets. Congress leader Pawan Khera alleged that trains were cancelled in Telangana and buses carrying party workers stopped, a claim Mr Patra dismissed as fabricated.
Traders near the ground have voiced concern about lost business on the last Sunday before Diwali, and the Confederation of All India Traders has begun a petition against the frequency of rallies in central Delhi. Beyond Sunday, Opposition leaders plan to present what they describe as evidence of vote theft to President Droupadi Murmu and to carry the agitation into the states.
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