The Delhi Police has cancelled all routine leave for its personnel with immediate effect because of the law and order situation in the capital, it said on Friday.
The order was distributed yesterday to Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) in all districts, Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Indira Gandhi International Airport, and other senior officers at the police headquarters.
Under the directive, police personnel, including gazetted officers, will not be granted routine leave such as casual leave or earned leave until further orders are given. Only genuine emergency leave will be considered and such requests will need to be verified and approved by the competent authority.
The order also restricted police personnel from attending training programmes or any other similar activity without the Commissioner of Police’s approval.
The communication instructed senior officers that they would have to strictly comply with the directive.
The decision comes at a time of high security concern in Delhi, where protests by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) continue over NEET UG and other examination-related issues.
The protesters have been calling for changes in India’s examination system and for Dharmendra Pradhan to quit as the Union Education Minister. The demonstrations have attracted attention and protests in the country’s capital have been regular.
On July 20, thousands of protesters belonging to the CJP gathered at Jantar Mantar for a ‘Sansad Chalo’ march. This was carried out to call for action on examination issues and other issues raised by students and activists.
Despite the tight security arrangements, the crowd tried to move towards Parliament as the Monsoon Session was going on. Police intervened as the protesters tried to move past the protest area.
The situation heated up and police deployed lathicharge and tear gas to confront demonstrators and security personnel. Many demonstrators and police were injured in the clash, it said.
Due to these events, in and around central Delhi, security measures have increased, especially around Parliament, Jantar Mantar and other sensitive locations.
The suspension of routine leave will allow for a larger police force to be available for crowd control, law and order duties and emergency deployment.
The limits on attending courses and training programmes without approval from the Commissioner of Police also reflect the force's focus on delivering the maximum operational strength during the current period of heightened activity.
Recent political and public mobilisation in Delhi has seen increased political and public mobilisation in recent weeks with student groups, opposition parties, and activist organisations holding demonstrations over the NEET controversy and alleged paper leaks.
The police directive will remain in place until further orders, and routine leave applications will be suspended during the period. Emergency leave requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis after verification by the appropriate authorities.
With protests expected to continue, security agencies are closely monitoring developments across the capital. This is the administration’s most important order in two years because it has to make sure that police are deployed in a way to protect the country as protests continue and law and order concerns become more acute.
