Delhi Police Drop Name Tags Amid Jantar Mantar Protests.

 Why did the Delhi Police remove the name tags?

The decision was based on fears after the July protests, said officials. During the demonstrations, police officers in control of the crowd were also targeted online, identified and attacked by other officers' families, said a police officer who was in contact with the department. 

They also said that after the July incident, some officers told me it was their family that was being discussed and targeted through posts, memes, and personal networks. Senior officers were also adamant to personnel that they would not face action for removing their name tags while performing their duties within the law. Most IPS officers still wore their ID tags at Jantar Mantar, but junior officers were seen not wearing them. Protesters questioned police about the missing name tags. On the first day of this latest protest, several demonstrators filmed police personnel and asked them about the missing name tags.

 Videos posted online showed some personnel claiming that their tags had fallen off during the chaos, while others said they had forgotten to attach them. One reportedly said they had intentionally removed them to prevent the tags from falling off. Delhi Police officials also raised concerns about influencers appearing at protest sites and recording police personnel. Some individuals, officers involved in security planning said, were claiming to be media personnel while filming officers, conducting interviews, and creating social media content.

 The identity cards of people claiming to be journalists or media workers were checked, the police said. Some influencers were even identifying individual police officers and filming videos or memes around their interactions with protesters, officials said. The latest security strategy is based on the experience of the July 20 protests when clashes erupted during the CJP march towards Parliament. Thousands of people had rallied for weeks after protests and a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar. The protesters were demanding the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination paper leaks. Police in riot gear were deployed to clear away protesters who were trying to break through the barricades.

Police were seen assaulting some of the protesters in the video, and Delhi Police maintained that force was used in response to the crowd turning violent. There was criticism of Delhi Police and central armed police forces for their handling of the protesters in the aftermath. Anti-riot training ahead of the latest demonstrations took place in Delhi Police and central armed police forces, as well as training in crowd control. They were also advised to remain calm when approached by individuals recording them on mobile phones. Officers were reportedly trained not to respond aggressively when questioned or filmed. Following a review of the July protests, the CRPF's Rapid Action Force also reportedly barred its personnel from giving interviews.

The controversy over name tags has once again raised questions about police identification during large public demonstrations. While experts noted that there are no clear written rules specifically requiring or prohibiting the removal of name tags in such situations, avoiding identification has traditionally been used in sensitive and conflict-prone areas. The practice has been reported in areas affected by Left Wing Extremism, especially in the Northeast and Jammu and Kashmir, where security personnel may face risks of being identified and targeted. However, the decision to remove name tags from police personnel in Delhi has attracted attention because of the allegations of excessive force during earlier protests.