Delhi security in focus as Shah visits police headquarters

The high-level review meeting signalled the political leadership’s intent to maintain close oversight of policing in the Capital in the coming weeks

Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the Delhi Police headquarters on Jai Singh Road on Saturday afternoon, marking his first visit in more than four years. He chaired a high-level meeting with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, signalling the Government’s intent to strengthen policing in the Capital.

Shah arrived around 3 pm and sat down with the top brass of the police for several hours as they went through the five-year performance report and answered questions ranging from how they’d handled the recent protests to the security situation in the run-up to the festivals.

The meeting came at a sensitive time, given the criticism Delhi Police have faced for how they handled the Cockroach Janta Party’s “Sansad Chalo” march in July. What started as a fairly straightforward youth movement demanding the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET irregularities quickly degenerated into a confrontation right outside Parliament.

Tear gas and lathi charges were deployed, over 100 police personnel were injured, and the incident gave rise to allegations of excessive force. The political fallout saw Pradhan resign from the ministry. The review on Saturday examined the sequence of events, the police’s tactical decisions, and the safeguards now in place to prevent a similar situation from happening again.

Officers also provided leadership with a briefing on the protests that have taken place over the past 5 months, on women’s safety, on the attacks on police personnel and on the various direct engagement initiatives.

Drug trafficking, gang wars and criminal networks operating from overseas were all key areas of discussion, as were the force’s own counter-intelligence capabilities. With Diwali and other festivals on the horizon, the focus was on the security arrangements needed during periods of heavy public movement.

The political situation has become more urgent. Opposition parties and student groups are now mobilising against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls. They point to several irregularities and are calling for the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, to resign.

The Congress and the INDIA Bloc partners have announced a big rally at Ramlila Maidan on 1 November. The review meeting focused on operational readiness rather than political assertion. Still, the fact that these large gatherings are on the cards makes it clear that the force will be called upon again soon to manage such assemblies.

For the Delhi Police, the co-presence of the Union Home Minister and the Chief Minister was clearly both symbolic and practical. Since the BJP Government took office under Rekha Gupta earlier this year, the Centre and the Delhi administration have repeatedly stressed the “dual engine” benefit of their coordination.

Previous joint reviews have already looked at the issue of illegal immigration networks, gangsterism, women’s safety, traffic hotspots and the establishment of peace committees. We held this session at the force’s HQ to boost morale after months of public exposure and to ensure our priorities aligned with the Government’s stated objective of zero tolerance for organised crime.

Commissioner of Police Anurag Kumar, along with the Special Commissioners, Joint Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, and officers from the Special Cell and Crime Branch, were present. They reviewed the various investigations, incoming intelligence, and operational constraints.

Sources say Shah wanted clear updates on how much progress has been made in breaking up overseas syndicates, the drug campaign, and how well the police can handle large protests without letting them get out of control. People expected a stronger counter-intelligence push and for the police to connect better with the public.

When Shah left the headquarters that evening, his visit sent a clear message. In a city where both official events and street protests are common, the Delhi Police are always the first to respond. The Saturday review at the heart of the force showed that political leaders want to keep a close and visible watch on how the police handle things in the coming weeks.