Facial Recognition Cameras Installed At Jantar Mantar For Monitoring: Sources

Delhi Police have installed Facial Recognition System (FRS) cameras at Jantar Mantar, where the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is holding a protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over allegations related to NEET paper leaks, police sources said. The deployment has been carried out as a preventive security measure to identify individuals with criminal backgrounds who may attempt to disrupt the protest.

The facial recognition cameras have been placed at important entry and exit points around the protest venue. According to sources, the system will scan faces in real time and compare them with police databases to identify wanted criminals or people with previous criminal records. Officials clarified that the technology is not intended to identify or monitor genuine protesters participating in the demonstration.

Police officials said the FRS system is being used as both a preventive and investigative tool to maintain law and order at the protest site. The high-resolution cameras can capture facial images from a distance, allowing officers to verify identities and alert the concerned police units if any wanted individual is detected. Authorities said immediate legal action can be initiated in such cases.

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The security measure comes after clashes broke out at Jantar Mantar on July 20, leaving several protesters and police personnel injured. Protesters alleged that they were assaulted by people in plain clothes carrying batons, while authorities focused on maintaining order at the demonstration site. The CJP has continued its protest, with its main demand being the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.

Representatives of the protesting group recently met Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Minister of State for the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh to discuss their demands. CJP leader Ashutosh Ranka said the government had sought additional time regarding the resignation demand and claimed that discussions had shown support in principle for compensation to families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide and withdrawal of legal cases against students.

Government sources, however, have indicated that Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is unlikely and that the Bharatiya Janata Party continues to support him. Meanwhile, Delhi Police officials said the deployment of facial recognition technology is aimed at preventing criminal elements from exploiting the protest situation and ensuring the demonstration proceeds without further law-and-order disturbances.

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