New Delhi, 01 November (H.S.): People have started arriving at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi for the Congress rally scheduled to be held there on Sunday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh said, People have started arriving at Ramlila Maidan, and we are fully prepared. We are taking care of the convenience of those attending the rally while also ensuring that local residents do not face any inconvenience. Comprehensive arrangements have been made at the venue, and security measures have also been put in place along the rally route.

DCP Singh said around 250 CCTV cameras had been installed in the area. The organisers have also set up their own control rooms and are working in coordination with the police to ensure security.

Meanwhile, a large number of Congress workers have gathered at Himachal Pradesh Bhawan in Mandi House and are proceeding towards Ramlila Maidan. Mohammad Imran, a member of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee who had reached the venue, said nearly one lakh people from across Uttar Pradesh were expected to arrive by the afternoon. T.R. Prasad Gowda, a Karnataka Congress spokesperson who travelled to Delhi to attend the rally, said a large number of participants were also arriving from southern states.

Activity outside Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence intensified from early morning ahead of the rally. Senior Congress leaders are expected to leave from there for Ramlila Maidan shortly.

Earlier, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Devesh Chandra Srivastava visited Ramlila Maidan on Saturday afternoon to review the arrangements.

The INDIA bloc has claimed that 10 lakh people will attend the rally. However, intelligence inputs received by the Delhi Police estimate the turnout at around 70,000.

As part of its security arrangements, Delhi Police has divided Ramlila Maidan into 14 zones. Extensive measures have been put in place to ensure security and manage the crowd. Metal detectors have been installed at the entry points to the venue. In view of the rally, 150 additional traffic police personnel will also be deployed at major intersections across the city.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar