Centre airlifts 10 more CRPF companies for Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) The Centre has directed the airlifting of 10 more CRPF companies from Chhattisgarh to deploy in Delhi to bolster security measures in view of the student protest underway, officials said on Friday.

Thousands of students and activists have been protesting in the national capital for over a month for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET fiasco.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has also restricted the leaves of its Delhi Metro security unit due to the protests.

Officials told PTI that a security review meeting held here on Thursday required all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) units scheduled to be stationed in the national capital ahead of Independence Day to report early.

They said that about 150 CAPF companies will be deployed in Delhi over the next few days. A CAPF company has about 100 personnel.

About 100 such companies are already in Delhi assisting the local police with law and order duties, officials said.

As part of the enhanced deployment, a total of 10 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) companies were airlifted from Chhattisgarh on Friday, they said.

Earlier this week, the Centre airlifted 20 CRPF companies from West Bengal to deploy in Delhi to oversee student protests being waged under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

Followed close in its wake was the induction of three RAF units and several other CAPF units, such as the SSB, BSF, and ITBP.

CISF officials said that orders have been issued to sanction only emergency leaves to its Delhi Metro unit as maximum manpower is required at the metro stations given the security situation in Delhi-NCR.

The CISF has deployed about 13,000 personnel to provide counter-terrorist security cover across the 250 stations of the rapid rail network in the National Capital Region.

Authorities have closed 15 to 17 stations in and around the Jantar Mantar area over the last four days citing security reasons due to the protests. PTI NES VN VN