E-Paper
Delhi HC directs police to decide within one week Karni Sena’s plea to hold protest at Jantar Mantar
Delhi HC directs police to decide within one week Karni Sena’s plea to hold protest at Jantar Mantar
Prefer HTon Google
New Delhi, The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the city police to decide within a week a plea by Kshatriya Karni Sena president Raj Shekhawat seeking permission to hold a protest against the recently notified UGC equity regulations at Jantar Mantar here.
The high court was informed that while the protest was earlier scheduled for September 6, the petitioner has now changed the date to September 20 in view of the upcoming BRICS Summit in the national capital.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma directed petitioner Shekhawat to file a fresh application with the Delhi Police seeking permission to hold the peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar on September 20 from 10 am to 5 pm.
Initially, the petitioner had challenged denial of permission by Delhi Police to hold the protest at September 6.
However, after being suggested by the court to change the date as the police were not allowing the protest on that day in view of the BRICS Summit on September 12-13 at Bharat Mandapam, the petitioner shifted it to September 20.
The high court on Monday directed that the fresh application be placed before the competent authority which will decide it within a week by September 14.
When the counsel for the police urged the court to grant time till September 16-17, the bench made it clear that the application has to be decided by September 14.
"Certainly not. September 14 means 14. You have to decide the application by September 14. You may impose any condition or direction on them which is appropriate as per law," Justice Sharma said.
Shekhawat challenged the Delhi Police's August 28 order rejecting his request seeking permission to hold the protest. Alternatively, he has sought that his application be reconsidered and a fresh reasoned order be passed within 24 hours.
He has said that the peaceful protest was proposed for the purpose of "expressing views and grievances concerning reservation policies and matters relating to the new UGC framework".
The protest was being held to seek withdrawal of the University Grants Commission Regulations, 2026 aimed at addressing caste-based discrimination in higher educational institutions.
According to the plea, the police communication said the proposed demonstration cannot be permitted because of ongoing preparations for the BRICS Summit-2026, strengthening of security arrangements, law and order, and traffic considerations.
The plea, however, said the rejection was legally unsustainable.
It added the petitioners are willing to expressly undertake that no procession should be taken out from Jantar Mantar and no participant would move towards Bharat Mandapam or any security route connected with the Summit.
Earlier, Shekhawat had approached the high court claiming to be under house arrest. However, the police clarified in the court that he was not under any detention, prompting the high court to hold that Shekhawat was free to move around.
The petitioner's lawyer said Shekhawat has been leading a nationwide awareness campaign in respect of the UGC regulations.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
