Over 9,000 demonstration, dharnas, protest marches in Delhi last year

According to Delhi Police data, 3,521 dharnas took place in the city, whereas 1,586 demonstrations were witnessed in 2017.

751 meetings and 320 processions were also carried out during this period, and 595 programmes of strikes and 443 rallies and marches were also taken out. More than 2,000 programmes were categorised as miscellaneous, as per the data.

The Special Branch of Delhi Police is primarily tasked with collecting intelligence having a bearing on prevention of untoward incidents and maintaining law and order, with particular emphasis on communal harmony.

According to police, Delhi – being the seat of the Union government – witnesses numerous demonstrations, rallies and dharnas by various organisations over issues ranging from political, communal, labour, youth and student affairs.

The two ranges of Delhi Police that saw the highest number of programmes in 2017 were Central and New Delhi.

Central Delhi saw 75 processions, 144 demonstrations, 15 strikes, 62 rallies and marches, 15 strikes and 97 dharnas. Communal harmony was maintained without any problems in the district and all major law and order arrangements were dealt with successfully.

In New Delhi, 1,063 demonstrations, 12 rallies and 2,383 dharnas witnessed, wherein lakh participated. New Delhi district also handled 22 religious processions and gatherings, as well as 1,960 visits and movements of foreign heads of States, governments and high dignitaries.

Meanwhile, 34 demonstrations, 30 dharnas and 15 processions were successfully handled by South West Delhi Police.

To maintain law and order, cops resorted to community policing initiatives like Police Mitra, Prahari, Eyes and Ears, Yuva and Jan Sampark.

Moreover, Delhi Police will soon get a more cosmopolitan character once the over 7,300 new recruits, drawn from all over the country, get operationalised.