Security beefed up in Lutyens' Delhi ahead of opposition's protest at Jantar Mantar

New Delhi: Security was tightened across Lutyens' Delhi on Wednesday, with several parts of central New Delhi resembling a fortress, ahead of the INDIA bloc's protest at Jantar Mantar.

Barricades were raised at multiple locations in and around the New Delhi area, with a massive deployment of the Delhi Police, Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel.

The heightened security comes a day after hundreds of opposition MPs and supporters were detained following their march to the Election Commission and an over eight-hour sit-in inside the Akashvani Bhawan premises.

The opposition MPs on Wednesday decided to hold their protest at Jantar Mantar, a designated site for agitations, for the ouster of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who has been accused of facilitating deletion of lakhs of voters' names through the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

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The Delhi Police has registered an FIR against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several of their supporters for allegedly entering the Akashvani Bhawan premises "without permission" during Tuesday's protest.

Security is particularly heavy around key government and institutional areas in Lutyens' Delhi.

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The opposition leaders have maintained that they will continue their agitation and take their concerns against "vote chori" to the streets.