NEW DELHI: Mobile internet services have been suspended within a four-kilometre radius of Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from 10 pm on Friday until 10 pm on Saturday ahead of a protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI), Delhi Police sources said.
The Union Home Ministry has approved the decision, the sources said, adding that the suspension would be limited to mobile internet services in the designated area.
Internet services in the rest of the national capital will remain unaffected.
The move comes amid heightened security arrangements ahead of the October 10 mobilisation called by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and several student organisations.
The protesters are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls and the electoral process.
Delhi Police has divided the New Delhi district into 20 zones to manage the situation and regulate movement around sensitive areas, sources said.
Each zone will be monitored by a joint commissioner, a deputy commissioner and an additional deputy commissioner of police to ensure close supervision of security arrangements, they said. Special commissioners heading various units will also closely monitor the zones and coordinate with senior officers, whenever required, to respond to any law-and-order situation, a source said. Additional CCTV cameras have been installed at key locations in New Delhi, Central Delhi and North Delhi districts as part of the security measures, the source added.
Security has also been stepped up at the borders connecting Noida with Delhi, with police personnel and Border Security Force (BSF) jawans deployed at key points ahead of the protest.
At the Chilla border, personnel from the Noida and Delhi police, along with BSF jawans, have been deployed as part of the heightened security arrangements. Police teams have begun checking vehicles considered suspicious and questioning people wherever necessary, officials said.
Security personnel are keeping a close watch on buses, taxis and private cars entering Delhi from Noida. Vehicles are being stopped for checks as part of efforts to prevent any untoward incident during the protest. Reinforced concrete (RCC) barriers have also been placed at the border to strengthen security.
Sources suggested that police could move to seal the border around 9 pm on Friday, though official confirmation of the proposed measure was not immediately available.
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