Ramlila Maidan Congress rally: Roads to be barricaded, contingency plan in place for evacuations

All roads to Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan will be heavily barricaded and manned to ensure people gathering at the venue for the Congress-led bloc’s November 1 rally do not march towards Jantar Mantar and other restricted zones, and a contingency plan will be in place for immediate evacuation of top politicians in case of an emergency and possible disruptions, two police officers said.Preparations at Ramlila Maidan ahead of the rally on November 1. (HT PHOTO)Jantar Mantar was de-notified as a designated protest venue, and three new sites across the city were listed for holding demonstrations. Student protests against exam irregularities at Jantar Mantar forced the then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign in July.The Ramlila contingency plan involves top leaders including Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. A gate of the Ramlila Ground has been earmarked for safe evacuation, the officers said. Nearly 3,000 Delhi Police personnel will be deployed in and around the venue.Nearly 150 high-definition (HD) and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled CCTV cameras will cover the area. A temporary police control room will be set up around the venue to monitor live video feed from cameras and relay requisite directions to security personnel deployed in and around the ground.Most of the security personnel will be equipped with body-worn cameras for capturing activities around them and use the videos as their defence in situations where allegations of mishandling, harassment and excessive force are made, the officers said.The Delhi Police’s intelligence unit has estimated a gathering of 40,000 to 50,000 people from Delhi and other states for the rally, which is part of the Opposition’s campaign against alleged voter deletions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).Opposition parties, students’ organisations, particularly belonging to the Congress and Left groups, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), and civil society activists have been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and have held multiple protests in the recent weeks.One of the officers cited above said the number of protesters may increase, forcing the security agencies to intensify their deployment in and around the venue and other parts of the city. “The organisers are claiming that around one million people would attend their mega rally. Considering Diwali is around the corner, we as of now are expecting a gathering of around 50,000 people,” said the officer.The nearly 12-acre Ramlila Maidan, which can accommodate around 50,000 people, has eight entry and exit gates. One gate has been reserved for the entry and exit of VVIPs such as Rahul Gandhi and other high-profile Opposition leaders. The other will be dedicated to the movement of VIPs and senior officers from Delhi Police and other central agencies.“Movement through these two gates will be restricted, and only those having valid passes will be allowed. As per our security plan, we will leave three gates for the entry and exit of protesters. More gates may be opened if the crowd turns up. Thorough searching and frisking of people will be done at all the gates before their entry to the venue is allowed. They will have to pass through two layers of security cordon, while baggage scanning machines, door frame and hand-held metal detectors will also be used,” the second officer said.According to the security plan, the officers said, the entire Ramlila Maidan will be divided into eight regions and 14 zones. A Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) or additional DCP-rank officer will be in charge of each region. An Assistant Commissioner of Police-rank officer will take care of each zone. They will be assisted by at least 25 inspectors and personnel between the ranks of sub-inspectors and constables. Apart from Delhi Police personnel, deployment of nearly 10,000 personnel from armed paramilitary forces will also be done.Since thousands of people are expected to arrive in buses and private vehicles from other states, parking will be available around Rajghat and Mata Sundari College, from where protesters will be asked to walk to Ramlila Ground. Nobody will be allowed to move towards the New Delhi areas, the officers said.