E-Paper
Delhi assembly election 2020: On a day mostly free of incidents, cops get 223 polling-related calls in Delhi
The Delhi Police control room received 223 polling-related calls till 6 pm. Two deaths – of a polling officer and a 59-year-old voter – were reported from northeast Delhi’s Babarpur and Hari Nagar in west Delhi.
Polling in Delhi was peaceful on Saturday barring a few incidents of altercation between supporters of political parties.
The Delhi Police control room received 223 polling-related calls till 6 pm. Two deaths – of a polling officer and a 59-year-old voter – were reported from northeast Delhi’s Babarpur and Hari Nagar in west Delhi.
Nearly 80,000 security personnel panned out across the city to ensure free-and-fair polling. Due to the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Millia Islamia, Seelampur, Jafarabad, Turkman Gate and Jama Masjid, extra forces were deployed in such areas, senior police officers said.
“A total of 545 polling stations were declared sensitive. Apart from our staff, commandos and paramilitary forces were stationed at such polling booths. The quick reaction teams and other teams patrolled the neighbourhoods to keep a watch on troublemakers. Flag marches were conducted in sensitive areas,” said an officer.
Delhi Police spokesperson Anil Mittal said special attention was paid to the security of EVMs and other poll-related materials, which were brought to the premises a day in advance for the first time. “For this purpose, special QRTs were deployed at vulnerable places at night,” Mittal said.
Deputy commissioner of police (election cell) Sharat Kumar Sinha said of the 223 calls received at the police control room till 6 pm, 18 were related to quarrels among party workers. 73 calls were against campaigning within the restricted area of 200 metres from the polling booths. Another 12 calls were about not getting permission to cast votes, the DCP said.
“The remaining calls primarily ranged from putting more tables, seeking help for transportation to polling stations to cast votes and not finding names in the voter list. No serious complaints ,” he added.
A few videos of scuffles and altercations were circulated on the social media. In one video, Congress candidate from Chandni Chowk assembly constituency, Alka Lamba, was seen attempting to slap an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) worker after an alleged verbal spat in Majnu ka Tilla area. In another video, which is said to be of Rithala area, some BJP and AAP supporters were seen assaulting each other.
Police said no complaint was received in the two incidents from either of the two parties and the issue was resolved on the spot after security personnel intervened.
