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TMC's Saket Gokhale and (FRT) that was used by Delhi Police during the Jantar Mantar protests (Img: A FRT van)
New Delhi: A fresh controversy has erupted over the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) by Delhi Police during protests at Jantar Mantar, with Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale questioning the source of the database being used to identify faces.
Gokhale raised concerns over how facial recognition systems match images of people gathered at protests and asked whether any government agency shared citizens’ data with Delhi Police.
Taking to social media platform X, Gokhale questioned the database behind the facial recognition technology deployed during the Jantar Mantar protests.
VERY IMPORTANT:
Delhi Police has admitted in the SC that facial recognition technology was deployed during the Jantar Mantar protests.
Now for facial recognition to make a “match”, there needs to be an underlying database of photos+details of citizens. So where did Delhi… pic.twitter.com/ZoVgkynM4s
— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) August 19, 2026
He asked, “For facial recognition to make a match, there needs to be an underlying database of photos and details of citizens. So where did Delhi Police get that database from?”
Gokhale also referred to a 2020 RTI response, claiming that the Election Commission had shared voter lists with photographs with Delhi Police during an investigation related to the Delhi riots.
He questioned whether voter databases or information from agencies such as Aadhaar, Income Tax or transport departments had been shared for facial recognition purposes.
Delhi Police has maintained that facial recognition technology was used only to identify known criminals and people with criminal backgrounds, and not to monitor ordinary protesters.
According to police officials, the technology has been used during large gatherings as part of law-and-order management and is linked with existing criminal databases.
The police have denied allegations of mass surveillance and said the objective is to prevent criminals or anti-social elements from exploiting public gatherings.
The deployment of facial recognition vans at Jantar Mantar has triggered a wider debate over privacy, surveillance and the legal framework governing artificial intelligence-based monitoring.
The technology uses cameras and software to analyse facial features and compare them with images stored in databases. Questions have been raised over transparency, data storage, accuracy and safeguards against misuse.
Petitions challenging the use of facial recognition at protest sites have argued that such surveillance could affect privacy rights and the freedom to participate in peaceful demonstrations.
Gokhale has demanded clarity from Delhi Police and other agencies on whether citizens’ photo databases are being shared for facial recognition systems.
The controversy comes amid a growing national discussion on balancing modern policing tools with privacy protections and accountability in the digital age.
