Terming the “present security scenario and law & order” in the national Capital as “quite critical” due to the ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Delhi Police has sought from the Election Commission an additional deployment of 30 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) for the conduct of the impending Assembly polls here, as withdrawing the paramilitary already deployed for essential duties was “not feasible”. Presently, over a dozen of protests are going on against the CAA in various parts of the Capital.
In a letter to the EC, Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence) Praveer Ranjan said, “The present security scenario and law & order is quite critical than was expected to be during electioneering process of the forthcoming Delhi Assembly 2020 as large number of protests and at times even violent in various parts of the national Capital are going for more than a month now over CAA.
“Further, being capital city and also election is to happen shortly, this may continue for longer time. It is requested that 30 companies of CAPF may be provided through direct induction immediately instead of in situ as it would not be feasible to withdraw these 30 companies from important essential duties like maintaining law & order , security for VBIPs, vital installations, banks in Delhi as it may adversely affect the security and law and order scenario.”
The CAA has triggered a nationwide debate on whether the law violates the country’s secular nature by excluding a particular religious group from its ambit, as has the iron-fisted approach adopted by police in some areas, including Delhi, to quell protests.
The law favours non-Muslim refugees from the Muslim-majority countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Sources in Delhi police said that heavy police deployment has been made Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Nagar, Karawal Nagar, Brijpuri, Bhajanpura, Seelampur, Jafrabad, Welcome, Mustafabad, Okhla and several parts which have seen repeated protests against the Citizenship Act.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has accused Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress of pursuing vote bank politics and alleged that they had “instigated riots in the capital” during the protest against the Citizenship Amendmend Act (CAA).
According to the EC, over 71, 000 persons have been booked under the various sections of the Delhi Police Act while over 3500 booked under various section of the Criminal Procedure Code after the implementation of the model code of conduct.
The Delhi police needs 179 companies of CAPF/State Armed Force which include 15,000 home guards from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and other States.