Amit Shah in Dehradun today for BJP's 'Save Democracy' rally and police colour ceremony

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is due in Dehradun on Friday to lead the BJP’s “Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy” padyatra and public meeting at the city’s Parade Ground, less than a week after the opposition’s rally in Delhi.

Shah is also to present the President’s Police Colour to the Uttarakhand Police at the Police Line, and a meeting of the state BJP’s core committee has been proposed for the evening. The state government has tied the visit to its programmes for the state’s foundation day, and officials have been told to finish arrangements in time.

The party’s show of strength

The rally is part of the BJP’s “Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao” campaign, which Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched in all 13 districts on October 22. The party built it as an answer to the opposition’s campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls, which brought the INDIA bloc to Ramlila Maidan on November 1.

State BJP president Mahendra Bhatt has said more than 25,000 workers from Dehradun city, Rishikesh, rural Dehradun and Haridwar district will take part. He has claimed the Dehradun turnout will be bigger than the crowd the opposition gathered in Delhi, and that people are angry at what he called the opposition’s “false and negative politics”.

Manvir Singh Chauhan, the party’s state media in-charge, said padyatras and public meetings were being held at five main centres in the state, with the Parade Ground as the biggest.

Eyes on 2027

The visit comes with Uttarakhand heading into its 2027 Assembly election. Party sources say the core committee could discuss organisational preparedness and how to sharpen the BJP’s challenge to the opposition in the state. The Congress began its own review on November 2, when party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi met senior Uttarakhand leaders in Delhi and accused the BJP of betraying the state in its 10 years in power.

Security and traffic

Dhami inspected the Parade Ground on Thursday with Bhatt, Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan and senior officials, reviewing the stage, seating, parking, transport and security. “There should be no negligence at any level in ensuring the smooth and successful conduct of the event,” the Chief Minister told officials.

Police have put multi-tier security in place for the visit, and special traffic arrangements are due to apply from 11 am to 3 pm. Heavy traffic is expected on Rajpur Road, EC Road, Lansdowne Chowk and Darshanlal Chowk, and the BJP has told its workers not to hold up the public.

A new flag for the force

The Police Colour ceremony follows a makeover of the force. On October 31, Dhami unveiled a new emblem, flag and motto for the Uttarakhand Police, “Karm Satyam Shauryam” (duty, truth, courage), along with a redesigned ceremonial uniform. The dark blue flag replaces the three-colour one the force has carried since 2008.