Heavy security in Lutyens' Delhi ahead of Parliament building opening, protesting wrestlers' mahapanchayat

Thousands of police personnel have been deployed in Lutyens' Delhi and multiple layers of barricades put in place as part of the robust security arrangement in and around the new Parliament building to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, officials said.

The wrestlers protesting at the Jantar Mantar, about two kilometres from Parliament, said that they will go ahead with their "Mahila Mahapanchayat" near the new building at any cost.

Police, however, said that no protester will be allowed to move towards the new Parliament building as permission has not been granted to hold the "Mahila Mahapanchayat".

A senior police officer said that security has been stepped up by enhancing police deployment, placing multiple barricades and sufficient police pickets and in addition, intensive patrolling is also being carried out across the national capital and its bordering areas to ensure that law and order is maintained.

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said that thousands of farmers from Uttar Pradesh will gather at Delhi's Ghazipur border at 10.30 am on Sunday and then enter the national capital to extend their support to the protesting wrestlers. Farmers will also enter Delhi from other border points.

The agitating wrestlers have demanded the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Singh who, they alleged, sexually harassed several women grapplers.

Police have requested the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to grant necessary permission to create temporary jail in the MC Primary Girls School, Kanjawala Chowk, Old Bawana on Sunday, if required, so that law and order arrangement could be maintained.

"Strict vigil is being kept along Delhi's borders. We have increased our pickets, multiple barricades have been placed and no one will be given entry inside the national capital without being thoroughly checked," a senior police officer said.

Every vehicle will be checked and no suspicious entry which has the potential to disrupt the law and order situation inside Delhi will be allowed, another senior police officer said.

The inaugural event of the new Parliament building is being attended by many eminent personalities and hence, security has been tightened in Lyutens' Delhi where thousands of security personnel have been deployed, he said.

Police have already issued a traffic advisory that New Delhi district will be treated as a controlled area and entry of vehicles will be restricted.

The Parliament building is located in a high-security area. Besides additional deployment, there is continuous monitoring through CCTV cameras, the police said.

While around 20 parties have announced a boycott of the ceremony, agitating wrestlers are threatening to hold a protest meeting before the new Parliament building on Sunday.

However, an official said that no permission has been given for the "women mahapanchayat" announced by the wrestlers, who have been staging a sit-in at the Jantar Mantar.

A police official said that adequate security personnel have been deployed near the Parliament building and there is a robust security arrangement made at the Jantar Mantar where wrestlers and farmers have been on sit-in.

"We have completely covered the entire Jantar Mantar protest venue. It is being guarded by our security personnel. CCTV cameras installed there are being constantly monitored.  "There are heavy barricades placed and to keep strict vigil on the activities and to ensure no one moves outside the venue, for each protester, we have deployed at least five police personnel. That's how elaborate the security arrangement is at Jantar Mantar," he said.

Police pickets have also been set up in central Delhi and tight security arrangements have been made to maintain law and order, the official said.

The ceremony to inaugurate the new Parliament building on Sunday will begin with an early morning havan and multi-faith prayers followed by the formal opening by Prime Minister Modi.

Representatives of as many as 25 parties and many dignitaries, including chief ministers and ministers, are expected to attend the inauguration.

According to the traffic advisory, only public transport vehicles, civil service aspirants, bonafide residents, labelled vehicles and emergency vehicles will be allowed to move in the New Delhi area.

Noting that many VVIPs and other dignitaries are likely to attend the inauguration ceremony, the Delhi traffic police urged people to plan their journey accordingly and avoid the New Delhi district from 5:30 am to 3 pm.