The Congress-led INDIA bloc has received a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Delhi Police for its November 1 rally at the Ramlila Maidan against alleged electoral irregularities, but the permission comes with a set of conditions related to crowd management, CCTV surveillance, speeches, transport and the time by which the gathering must disperse.
Speaking at a public hearing event in Trilokpuri in the national Capital, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi asserted that the Opposition will not stop its protests against the SIR exercise till Kumar resigns or Prime Minister Narendra Modi removes him as the CEC.
The rally is scheduled for November 1, between 10 am and 5 pm.
The organisers have been directed to install high-definition cameras at strategic locations, including the entry and exit gates, the stage, the surrounding areas of Ramlila Maidan and the seating enclosures. The surveillance arrangements must include recording facilities, monitoring systems with at least five screens and a dedicated CCTV control room.
The Delhi Police is preparing to deploy around 3,500 personnel and use more than 200 CCTV cameras for security at the designated protest site. Police have divided the venue into 14 zones for crowd management and called in 10 companies of reserve forces, body-worn cameras and surveillance-equipped vehicles.
The police has also directed the organisers to provide adequate drinking water, toilet facilities for women, and volunteers for crowd management and ensure that the gathering concludes by 5 pm. The organisers have also been told not to allow participants to stay overnight at the venue and not to take out a procession beyond the designated ground.
The Congress, meanwhile, claimed that it was denied permission to hold an event where the INDIA bloc parties planned a public impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar ahead of their November 1 rally and accused the Government of trying to "silence" the voice of common people after "destroying" the electoral system.
The Congress said 21 parties of the INDIA bloc had planned the public impeachment of the CEC as a "curtain raiser" on October 30 for the November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan on the vote theft charge. Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal claimed the Government-run Ashok Hotel initially allowed permission to host the event but later denied it after police intervention. He said the Congress had booked Ramlila Maidan from October 25 to November 3 and decided to shift the event to the site.
Asked where the event would be held, Venugopal said, "How Delhi Police will stop us, we will see. We can conduct the programme anywhere." The parties had explored several venues, including Talkatora Stadium, Constitution Club, Mavlankar Hall, Dr Ambedkar International Centre and Ashok Hotel, but were unable to secure permission or bookings, the leader said. The leader said it was unusual for the Constitution Club, which is generally available for such programmes, to have no bookings available until November 2.