Delhi Police Drop Name Tags at Jantar Mantar Protests to Avoid Social Media Targeting
New Delhi: Delhi Police personnel deployed at Jantar Mantar for protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were directed to remove their name tags as a “deliberate measure” to prevent identification and targeting on social media, officials said.
The decision reportedly followed the July 20 clashes during a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) march, when several police personnel involved in crowd control were identified and allegedly targeted online. Some officers also said their families were subjected to online abuse and memes following the incident.
During Friday’s protests, several demonstrators questioned police personnel over the absence of name tags. While some officers claimed their tags had fallen off or that they had forgotten to wear them, officials said junior personnel had been allowed to remain without tags as part of the security strategy.
Officials said senior officers had raised concerns during post-July review meetings about police personnel and their families being identified and targeted on social media. While many IPS officers retained their tags, several junior personnel were permitted to remove them while performing crowd-control duties within the law.
The practice of concealing identities of security personnel is already followed in some conflict-affected areas, including Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast and Left Wing Extremism-affected regions.
The move, however, has drawn criticism amid allegations of excessive force during the July protests, when several police and central armed police personnel were filmed assaulting protesters.
Ahead of the latest demonstrations, Delhi Police and central armed police forces conducted anti-riot drills and trained personnel to remain composed when approached by influencers or people recording them. Authorities have also stepped up checks on individuals posing as journalists, officials said.
