Delhi Police cleared this rally with strict conditions on October 27, and on October 31 Rahul Gandhi announced a separate noon march from Minto Road to the ground, which police said had not been applied for. This report covers the final security, traffic and counter-protest arrangements announced since then. Read the earlier march report
Delhi is set for a day of rival political shows on Sunday, November 1, as the Congress-led INDIA bloc holds its 'Chalo Dilli' rally at Ramlila Maidan against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while the BJP stages a counter-protest across the city in West Delhi's Hari Nagar. Supporters from several states had begun arriving in the capital by Saturday night, Daily Jagran reported in an update published on Sunday morning, with inputs from PTI.
Source: Daily Jagran (with PTI inputs)
More than 4,000 police personnel, alongside Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) units, will be deployed along the march route and around the venue, according to the Jagran report. A separate PTI-based report by Nation Press put the Delhi Police deployment at around 3,500 personnel, supplemented by 10 companies of reserve forces. Ramlila Maidan has been divided into 14 security zones, each supervised by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, with surveillance through more than 200 CCTV cameras, drones, body-worn cameras and an on-site control room.
Source: Nation Press
The two sides' crowd expectations differ sharply. INDIA bloc leaders project a turnout of up to 10 lakh people, while Delhi Police estimate around 50,000. Officials cited by Jagran said the ground holds 45,000 to 50,000 people when empty, and about 30,000 to 40,000 once stages, chairs and enclosures are in place, with spillover space arranged outside. The rally itself runs from 10 am to 5 pm; the bloc's procession is scheduled to start at noon from the Minto Road–Connaught Place junction. Delhi Police have clarified that permission was granted for the assembly at Ramlila Maidan, but no application was received for the proposed Minto Road march.
Source: Daily Jagran (with PTI inputs)
Delhi Traffic Police will enforce restrictions and diversions from 10 am to 5 pm across central Delhi. Diversion points include the Netaji Subhash Marg T-point, Rajghat, Delhi Gate, the ITO A-point, the Ajmeri Gate red light, Ranjeet Singh Flyover, the Jhandewalan roundabout, Turkman Gate and Mirdard Chowk, PTI reported. Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Minto Road and Desh Bandhu Gupta Road are among the routes to avoid; special arrangements have been made for ambulances heading to LNJP and GB Pant hospitals, and passengers bound for New Delhi Railway Station have been advised to plan ahead.
Source: Jagran Josh, reporting PTI
The BJP's counter-protest march starts at 11 am in Hari Nagar and will be led by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra, with families of victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots taking part and about 5,000 participants expected, Jagran reported. In a post on X, Delhi BJP said the Sikh community wants Congress to apologise for the 1984 massacre of innocent Sikhs before it 're-launches' Rahul Gandhi on November 1. The INDIA bloc, for its part, has appealed to students, youth, women, workers and civil society members to join the rally in support of free and fair elections. Sources: Daily Jagran (with PTI inputs), Nation Press and Jagran Josh, reporting Delhi Police and Delhi Traffic Police arrangements.