Police firm on order banning assemblies; checking continues near Jantar Mantar, Lutyen's zone

Police continued detaining protesters and students despite Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, citing prohibitory orders in central Delhi.

Protesters, students and commuters continued to be detained on Saturday, even after Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation, as police continued to remove people from the Nizamuddin area and prevented many from entering Jantar Mantar and the Lutyens’ zone.

Police personnel deployed at and around Jantar Mantar after the Union minister resigned on Saturday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Near Neel Gumbad in the Hazrat Nizamuddin area, police set up multiple barricades near the flyover to halt autorickshaws, bikes, cabs and trucks. All passing vehicles were profiled as on Saturday, with students being stopped specifically. Two minors were picked up from Mehrauli and Hauz Khas, while they were heading for the protest. Police later released them.

A senior police officer, who did not wish to be named, said, “There is a clear order that the New Delhi district has imposed Section 163 of BNSS (prohibiting assembly of five or more people). The protest has been going on without permission. Also, under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act, we have the powers to detain people who are trying to join an illegal protest.”

Hundreds of students, protesters and commuters have been stopped or detained across south, central and southeast Delhi in the past few days as the Delhi Police enforced stringent preventive measures to block supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) from reaching their protest site at Jantar Mantar.

Students, journalists allege profiling at checkpoints

Journalists were also stopped and refused passage without valid work ID cards. A reporter with a local news organisation told HT, “I was taking my friends to cover the protest. The policemen stopped us, checked our auto driver’s journey details and asked him to leave. We have been left in the middle of the road. I had told police my press card was stolen two days back, but they did not agree. I just want to do my job.”

Another commuter, Tausif, and his two friends were in an auto when they were stopped at Hazrat Nizamuddin and asked about their journey. They said they were going to Red Fort but were still denied passage. “Police is giving no reason. They said it’s not safe and asked us to go home. I am not even a protester. Why do I need police’s permission to go around?” he said.

In one instance, a sub-inspector was seen noting down the names, numbers and addresses of those trying to join the protest and pushing past police.

Anas Tanwir, an advocate, said he and his team have been trying to help students and protesters detained over the last two to three days. “We are all trying to send our lawyers everywhere and ensure the protesters are safe, released within 24 hours, and their rights are not violated. There is massive checking and profiling done around Nabi Karim, Mehrauli, Hauz Khas, Hazrat Nizamuddin and other areas,” he said.

Food volunteers, school student among those detained

On Friday night, a vehicle carrying protesters with food supplies was stopped in the Nizamuddin area. A 25-year-old student, who refused to be identified, said, “Since there are many students who have been staying at the protest site, we just wanted to take food for them. Online delivery apps were not working. So, we got some 50 meals packed. But police stopped us and detained us. What problem do they have with food? We had no banners or posters. We just wanted to give food.”

Police also placed barricades at Badarpur, Mehrauli and Hauz Khas areas from Friday night.

Over 200 people were briefly detained from south and Southeast Delhi on Thursday and Friday. More than 25 students were kept at Lodhi Colony police station after being picked up while returning from Jantar Mantar.

In a separate case, a Class 12 student from Delhi was detained on Thursday and taken to Lodhi Colony police station. His father, Arvind, said, “Vansh had left home around 8pm with friends after pooling their pocket money to buy food for the protesters. The last I spoke to my son was around 1am. He was fine then and said he would return late. His friends called after some time to tell me that the police had detained him. He is a school student. What does the police want? We all went looking for him and later found he was at Lodhi Colony. They let him off after around 10 hours.”