Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has granted power of detaining authority to the Delhi Police Commissioner under the National Security Act, according to a notification.
The NSA allows preventive detention of an individual for months if the authorities feel that the individual is a threat to the national security, and law and order, sources said.
In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 3, read with clause (c) of Section 2 of the National Security Act, 1980, the Lt Governor pleased to direct that during the period January 19 to April 18, the Delhi Police Commissioner may also exercise the powers of detaining authority under sub-section (2) of the section 3 of the aforesaid Act, the notification stated.
The notification has been issued on January 10 following the approval of the LG.
It comes at a time when the national capital has been witnessing a number of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
However, the Delhi Police said it is a routine order that has been issued in every quarter and has nothing to do with the current situation.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police on Friday appealed to agitators to unblock the Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh stretch due to which the residents of Delhi and NCR are suffering, officials said.
The protesters, who are opposing the contentious CAA and a proposed pan-India NRC, have been siting on protest at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh for over a month.
The road is a key link between Noida and Delhi and has been closed by the Noida Traffic Police in view of the ongoing protests.
'We appeal to agitators at Road No 13-A, Shaheen Bagh to understand the sufferings, the complete highway blockade is causing to the residents of Delhi and NCR, senior citizens, emergency patients and school going children,' a police statement said.
The matter had also come up before the high court.
'We again urge protesters to cooperate and clear the road in larger public interest,' it stated.
