How a security blanket across Delhi took fizz out of CJP's Jantar Mantar 2.0

Vehicle checks at Delhi's borders and hundreds of preventive detentions ensured that those who managed to make their way near Jantar Mantar were met with a sea of security personnel. Here's how things unfolded on Saturday.

On Saturday, all roads leading to central Delhi were deserted. All one could see were policemen, paramilitary personnel and reporters. Vehicle checks at Delhi's borders and hundreds of preventive detentions over the past 48 hours ensured that those who managed to make their way near Jantar Mantar to protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar were met with a sea of security personnel. The sweeping security measures effectively prevented the protest from taking off, but its echo reached well beyond the national capital.

In fact, a day before the Cockroach Janta Party-led protest, our team lead, Dev Goswami, predicted two possible outcomes: either the agitation would descend into chaos or fizzle out. There would be no middle ground. The assumption was based on the unprecedented security clampdown put in place across the national capital.

PROTESTERS FACE SECURITY WALL

The chaos and violence that unfolded during the July paper leak protests were fresh in the minds of the Centre and Delhi Police. At that time, an internal assessment by Delhi Police felt there was a lack of adequate and precise prior intelligence regarding the number of protesters and their mobilisation. This time, the security agencies seemed well prepared.

The momentum for the protest, dubbed Jantar Mantar 2.0, had been building up for days. Before the Delhi protest call, the CJP held agitations in Mumbai and Bengaluru. Those passed off peacefully.

Around 221 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), comprising roughly 23,000 personnel, were deployed across Delhi well before October 10. Additional forces were brought in from J&K and Chhattisgarh, reports said. The deployment was significantly larger than those seen during the CJP's July agitation and the 2020-21 farmers' protests.

All approaches to Jantar Mantar were closed with layers of barricades strung together with metal chains. Barricades were put up at 37 points around the 2 km perimeter near Jantar Mantar so that no protester could sneak through. Spike strips were also laid on roads to curb vehicle movement.

With 45 metro stations shut, Central Delhi, and even its adjoining areas, were virtually out of reach for protesters. From the West Delhi side, the closest operational metro station was Patel Nagar. It is about a 1.5-2 hour long walk to Jantar Mantar.

Here too, several CISF personnel and cops were stationed. Autos refused to ferry people to Connaught Place and other places in its vicinity, The Indian Express reported.

It was a similar story at East Delhi. Dozens of cops were deployed at Yamuna Bank, the closest operating metro station to Jantar Mantar.

At several locations, vehicles and buses with young passengers were stopped and asked about their destinations.

The unprecedented security blanket meant the protest struggled to gain momentum on the ground. In fact, security personnel far outnumbered the few protesters who attempted to march towards Jantar Mantar. Visuals showed six to eight personnel surrounding a single protester and dragging them towards buses.

DETENTIONS TAKE STING OUT OF JANTAR MANTAR 2.0

There is another reason why the much-anticipated agitation might have failed to gather the scale it might have otherwise achieved.

Over the past 24 hours, at least 3,000 suspected protesters were detained from various parts of the country. The CJP, however, put the number at well above 10,000.

On Saturday morning, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was detained from his Gurugram residence before he could proceed towards Jantar Mantar. CJP's legal team head Ratna Singh alleged that she and three other lawyers were also detained. In a video, Singh alleged that more than 25 police personnel had surrounded her car, preventing her from leaving.

This played out as the CJP's top three - Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka - were preparing to arrive in Delhi from Mumbai. After their Air India flight landed at IGI Airport, dramatic scenes played out as the CJP leaders were detained by women cops from the aircraft.

It is not known if the strategy to deploy women cops was deliberate. Delhi Police might have anticipated that deploying male officers could have risked a confrontation. In a narrow space like an aircraft, even a minor scuffle could quickly escalate into a larger commotion.

The incident passed off without much chaos. Dipke, Das and Ranka were taken to separate locations. Our reporter was on the flight. Here's what he saw.

The crackdown, however, extended beyond the national capital. Suspected protesters travelling to Delhi for the agitation were intercepted at railway stations.

On Friday, at least 14 students travelling from Pune were detained at Madhya Pradesh's Itarsi after being taken off the Goa Express. Moreover, a team of CJP volunteers from Telangana were also detained at Bhopal railway station while travelling to Delhi.

The result? A July-like protest was nipped in the bud. Jantar Mantar 2.0 eventually struggled to take off, with security personnel far outnumbering those who managed to reach near the site. The unprecedented restrictions since Friday night already kept much of central Delhi out of reach.

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