From meals to medicines: Gurdwaras, food outlets assisting protesters in need

New Delhi: Gurdwara Bangla Sahib offering food and shelter to people in need at the Jantar Mantar, Blue Tokai, a well-known coffee shop, providing first-aid kits and other essentials to the injured and Kona, a food oultet sending 1,000 sandwiches – several establishments across Delhi have lent a helping hand to protesters camping at the historic protest site

New Delhi: Gurdwara Bangla Sahib offering food and shelter to people in need at the Jantar Mantar, Blue Tokai, a well-known coffee shop, providing first-aid kits and other essentials to the injured and Kona, a food oultet sending 1,000 sandwiches – several establishments across Delhi have lent a helping hand to protesters camping at the historic protest site.

Supporters sending food and beverages online food delivery portals for the CJP protesters gathered at the demonstration site at Jantar Mantar, on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times)

Staffers at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, two kilometres away from Jantar Mantar, said thousands of protesters reached the shrine on Monday night and were allowed to take shelter, as its doors are open to everyone irrespective of religion, caste or gender.

“We stopped the police at the gate. We didn’t allow them to touch a single person once they were inside. It’s part of our seva to protect anyone who seeks refuge inside the gurdwara,” said a staffer requesting anonymity. The staffer said those who reached the gurdwara also included children and women, and most of them were drenched in rain. “We serve langar to thousands every day, and one automatic chapati machine is usually enough. But on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, two chapati machines were put into operation and served langar throughout the night,” he added.

Harmeet Singh Kalka, president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, an autonomous body managing Sikh places of worship, said around 10,000 protesters arrived at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib on Monday night, and people keep visiting the shrine particularly at night.

“We offer protection irrespective of the person’s background. But this doesn’t mean we support them. The protestors are free to use all facilities like food, medical aid and shelter, just like others who turn to gurdwaras. We aren’t sending any food, as they (organisers) are saying that they have plenty of food at the site (Jantar Mantar). No special arrangement has been done, and no one has reached out to us as of now from the organisers,” Kalka said.

Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, near Parliament House and over 3 km away from Jantar Mantar, also saw protesters arrive on Monday night.

Rohit Kumar, 21, a sanitary worker at the gurdwara, said a few protesters arrived around 10 pm on Monday seeking a place to rest. “Some protesters came on Monday night asking for shelter. It appeared they were not from Delhi, as they were carrying their belongings and had arrived barefoot. I told them they could go to Bangla Sahib, or use our hall to rest. I also informed them that they could have food at the langar hall,” Kumar said.

For several protesters, gurdwaras have become places to recover, rest, find relief, and have food.

“The protest site is packed. I have been coming to Bangla Sahib Gurudwara since the night of July 20. I take a bath, have food and rest for a while. I head back to the protest site,” said Manish Kumar, 23, who travelled from Patna.

Nearby businesses also helped protesters in need. A Blue Tokai staffer at Janpath outlet said more than 150 protesters rushed into the café around 4 pm on Monday, trying to escape a tear gas shell that exploded close to the outlet.

“Police told us to shut the outlet, but many people had already been in. We switched off the lights to make it appear closed. We tended to the people in need with first aid,” said a Blue Tokai staffer.

Chef Mukesh Shankar said water and first aid were always available for free at all Blue Tokai stores. “Once the people entered the outlet, they were our customers... the protesters (who ran in) were uncomfortable and needed to splash their faces with water.”

On Wednesday, Greater Kailash-2-based Kona, a food outlet, sent more than 1,000 sandwiches to Jantar Mantar.

Several protesters said McDonald’s and Sagar Ratna also assisted the injured during Monday’s clashes.