The Union home ministry has extended the deployment of 273 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) companies in Delhi until October 31 after the Delhi Police warned of possible flash protests at sensitive locations across the national capital.
The extension, approved at the request of the Delhi Police, is the second since the forces were brought to the city earlier this month. Official sources said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directed the Delhi Police and the respective CAPFs on October 22 to coordinate the continued deployment.
The Delhi Police told the ministry that political and other groups could organise sudden demonstrations in different parts of the city, the sources said. The additional forces will remain deployed alongside the local police to support law-and-order arrangements.
Of the 273 companies, 125 are from the Central Reserve Police Force, including 20 women personnel units. The deployment also includes 20 companies of the Rapid Action Force, 46 from the Border Security Force, 39 from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, 31 from the Sashastra Seema Bal and 12 from the Central Industrial Security Force.
A CAPF company has a sanctioned strength of 100 personnel, although its effective operational manpower is generally about 70 to 72 personnel. On that basis, the 273 companies represent a sanctioned strength of 27,300 personnel, while the effective operational strength would be approximately 19,110 to 19,656 personnel. The forces are being used in coordination with the Delhi Police rather than as a replacement for the city police.
Parts of Delhi witnessed protests by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on October 9, with demonstrators seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Opposition parties later held protests with the same demand. The CJP also organised a ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ demonstration on October 16.
The earlier extension, sanctioned in mid-October, followed the initial deployment connected with the protests. The latest decision keeps the central forces available in Delhi through October 31 as authorities prepare for possible demonstrations at locations identified as sensitive by the city police.
The MHA has approved the Delhi Police request, and the Delhi Police and CAPF units have been directed to coordinate the deployment during the extended period.
