Delhi Police will deploy more than 3,000 personnel and install over 200 CCTV cameras, including AI-enabled surveillance systems, for the INDIA bloc’s November 1 ‘Chalo Dilli’ event at Ramlila Maidan, with authorities preparing a multi-zone crowd and traffic management plan for central Delhi.
The event will be the first major demonstration at the venue since Jantar Mantar was denotified as a protest site on October 11, according to a police officer quoted by The Hindu. Ramlila Maidan has been divided into 14 zones, each to be managed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police-rank officer.
“Since the ground is large, separate zones are being created for crowd management,” the officer from Delhi Police’s Central district said. Control rooms are being established near the venue, while police personnel will use body-worn cameras and surveillance systems mounted on vehicles. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh also inspected the arrangements at the site.
Workers were setting up the stage, tents and chairs at Ramlila Maidan on Thursday. Police are scheduled to meet the organisers on Friday to assess the expected number of participants and vehicles, finalise parking arrangements and mark entry points, among other operational details.
Protesters are expected to be directed through eight gates, with limits set for each entry point. The arrangement is intended to regulate movement into the ground and reduce traffic congestion in the surrounding area. The police plan follows the no-objection certificate issued for the event, which required the organisers to install high-definition CCTV cameras at entry and exit gates, the stage and seating enclosures.
The organisers have also been directed to establish a control room with five monitoring screens. Other requirements include adequate water tankers, toilet facilities and separate toilets for women. The event has been required to conclude by 5 p.m., with dispersal beginning after that time.
The policing arrangements place Ramlila Maidan at the centre of a wider public-space management challenge: accommodating a large political gathering while maintaining movement through one of central Delhi’s busiest areas. The report does not specify the expected turnout, final traffic diversions or the number of vehicles anticipated. Those details are expected to be discussed at the police-organiser meeting.
Several organisations, including the Cockroach Janta Party and the All India Students’ Association, have extended support for the programme, which is seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has also called on citizens and student organisations across party lines to attend.
Traders have raised a separate concern about the timing of the event. The Kirana Committee (Delhi) urged Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to postpone it until after November 10, saying traffic restrictions and crowding during the festive shopping period could affect nearly 20 major markets, along with traders, workers and families dependent on seasonal sales.
The police-organiser meeting on Friday is expected to establish the final turnout assessment, parking arrangements, gate allocation and related traffic measures before the demonstration takes place.
