Connaught Place Turns into Fortress as Police Gear Up for ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ Protest
In Short
Delhi Police deploy over 6,000 personnel and expand CCTV surveillance across Connaught Place ahead of the proposed ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ protest, citing security concerns and prohibitory orders.
Connaught Place area in Central Delhi where the CJP proposes to hold ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march today evening, has been turned into a fortress.
According to police, more than 6000 personal have been deployed. This includes 220 companies of Central Armed Police Forces and an expanded CCTV network. The security blanket has been thrown around Connaught Place, Rajiv Chowk, Central Park, Jantar Mantar, Palika Bazaar, nearby Metro stations and other sensitive locations in Lutyens' Delhi, with additional personnel being mobilised from other districts to prevent any law-and-order situation during the proposed march at 5 pm.
Police have also positioned barricades at several points, including Connaught Place, Patel Chowk, ITO and Sansad Marg.
The police is keeping hawk eye on several entry and exit points in the commercial district. It is taking all necessary measures to see that the public movement does not come to a standstill.
A senior police officer said that 5,000 additional personnel have been reserved from other districts to bolster the deployment. The authorities are also keeping police force in reserve to handle any situation in case the crowd swells during the night. They are gearing up to deploy about 60 companies in one shift.
As the Central Park does not have any cameras, the police has stepped up surveillance by installing 10 CCTV cameras around the Central Park to monitor the crowds and preserve footage in case any violation of the orders or untoward incidents take place. The Central park has been shut down for public till Saturday.
Officials said it may allow a select group of people to wave national flag and sing national anthem at a suitable spot.
Student organisations, activists and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters are also expected to join the proposed demonstration.
Delhi Police PRO Neha Yadav said the march had not been granted permission and that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS prohibiting mass gatherings were already in force in Connaught Place and surrounding areas.
Yadav said market and trade associations in and around Connaught Place had submitted written requests seeking protection for their establishments, citing concerns that large gatherings were affecting business.
A Journey of Three Decades Time passes faster than we realise. What feels like a journey that began only yesterday has today grown into more than three decades of a meaningful and fulfilling life devoted to education, journalism, and the empowerment of young minds. My professional journey began with journalism training in New Delhi in 1979. I went on to work as an independent journalist, drawing on my fluency in both English and Telugu. Over the years, I have edited and worked on Telugu articles in both languages, an experience that strengthened my command of language and sharpened my understanding of society, people, and contemporary issues. Yet, my principal profession and enduring passion have always been teaching. My decision to become a teacher was not merely a career choice—it was a calling. Teaching offered me the rare privilege of inspiring young minds, guiding them through their formative years, and making a lasting difference in their lives. I found immense satisfaction in simplifying complex concepts, nurturing curiosity, encouraging independent thought, and building confidence among students. Every moment in the classroom—every question, every moment of discovery, and every spark of understanding—reminded me why I had chosen this path: to empower young people through knowledge, values, and essential life skills. My teaching career began at the grassroots level as a Montessori teacher and gradually progressed to the position of Vice Principal. I had the opportunity to work in reputed educational institutions, including Dilsukhnagar Public School in Hyderabad, where I shouldered both teaching and administrative responsibilities. Although I have always considered myself, at heart, a teacher, my administrative experience enabled me to understand and contribute to the education system from a much broader perspective. For my students, I have always tried to be an approachable and dependable presence—someone they could turn to not only for academic support, but also for guidance and emotional encouragement. At the same time, I developed a reputation as a firm disciplinarian who believed that integrity, fairness, responsibility, and discipline were fundamental to education. I was also consistently appreciated for maintaining clear communication with parents and staff and for ensuring that examinations and other academic processes were conducted with transparency, fairness, and efficiency. As my career progressed, however, I began to feel that academic education alone was not enough. This realization led me to work more closely with students following the SSC and CBSE curricula, while consciously bringing life-skills education into my teaching. I came to understand that education becomes truly meaningful when it prepares children not merely to pass examinations, but to face life. Teaching emotional resilience, self-reliance, social awareness, communication, decision-making, and other practical life skills often had a deeper and more lasting impact than academic achievement alone. I saw how these skills could help students navigate challenges with greater confidence, maturity, and responsibility. My academic background provided a strong foundation for this approach. My degree in Psychology from the University of Madras helped me develop a deeper understanding of young people's minds, their emotional needs, and the influence of their family and social environments. My M.A. in Telugu with First Class from Osmania University.
