Jantar Mantar protest highlights: Massive crowd, RAF at Jantar Mantar for 'Reservation Hatao' protest; several detained
Jantar Mantar protest highlights: The protest remains active in Delhi even as the permitted time has passed. Delhi Police's NOC permitted a gathering of up to 500 people at Ramlila Maidan until 4 pm. The protesters, however, have remained at Jantar Mantar and exceeded the permitted time.
Jantar Mantar protest highlights: Delhi Police, along with the Rapid Action Force, detained protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar....Read More
The protest remains active in Delhi even as the permitted time has passed. Delhi Police's no-objection certificate (NOC) permitted a gathering of up to 500 people at Ramlila Maidan until 4 pm. The protesters, however, have remained at Jantar Mantar and exceeded the permitted time.
Earlier, the Delhi Police had issued an NOC for a peaceful protest under the “Reservation Hatao Andolan” at the national capital's iconic Ramlila Ground on Friday, according to an official communication from the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central District.
The development comes amid a digital campaign by “Reservation Hatao Andolan”, an Instagram-based page that has gained momentum by adopting protest-mobilisation tactics used by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The campaign, which has 5.6 million followers on Instagram, had earlier called for an anti-reservation protest at Jantar Mantar on August 21.
The NOC issued by Delhi Police allows a maximum of 500 people to gather at the venue until 4 pm, with the police stating that it had “no objection" for the protest from “a law and order point of view”.
The permission comes after the Delhi Police denied reports that a protest at Jantar Mantar had been granted permission.
“No permission has been granted for any protest, procession, demonstration or assembly at Jantar Mantar,” the police said in a statement shared on its official X account on Thursday.
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- 22 Aug 2026, 06:20:30 AM IST
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- 22 Aug 2026, 03:31:36 AM IST
Jantar Mantar protest LIVE: YouTuber speaks to the media
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- 21 Aug 2026, 10:27:44 PM IST
Jantar Mantar protest LIVE: Protesters climb bus as crowd swells
- 21 Aug 2026, 09:29:11 PM IST
Jantar Mantar protest LIVE: Reservation Hatao Andolan stir organisers says they are not backed by any political party or foreign agency
No political backing.
— Reservation Hatao Andolan (RHA) (@WokeFuneral) August 21, 2026
No foreign funding.
No corporate sponsors.
No paid crowds.
No party machinery.
No propaganda budget.
No vested interests.
Just ordinary citizens.
Just genuine anger.
Just pure emotions.
Just the courage to speak up.
Not for a party.
Not for a leader.
Not…Jantar Mantar protest LIVE: Reservation Hatao Andolan's X handle said in a post that it is not funded by any political party or foreign agency, and that the crowd gathered at the Jantar Mantar protest site has also not been brought in for money. The post concluded by saying that the protest is being held to bring fairness to the system and protect the future of the country.
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- 21 Aug 2026, 09:16:12 PM IST
Jantar Mantar protest LIVE: Right wing Youtuber Ajeet Bharti outlines demands
- 21 Aug 2026, 09:10:40 PM IST
Jantar Mantar protest LIVE: Videos show police detaining protesters
Some videos doing rounds on social media purportedly showed Delhi police personnel detaining protesters at Jantar Mantar.
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- 21 Aug 2026, 08:40:31 PM IST
Jantar Mantar protest LIVE: Delhi police, RAF detain protesters
Delhi Police, along with the Rapid Action Force, detain protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar.
A large number of people have gathered to protest against caste-based reservation.
- 21 Aug 2026, 08:35:28 PM IST
Jantar Mantar protest LIVE: Heavy security deployment at the protest site
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- 21 Aug 2026, 08:04:43 PM IST
'Reservation Hatao Andolan' protest LIVE: Protesters carried banners, posters and saffron flags
The protesters arrived carrying banners, posters and saffron flags, and raised slogans in support of their demands.
- 21 Aug 2026, 07:56:24 PM IST
'Reservation Hatao Andolan' protest LIVE: Protesters want affirmative action be based on economic criteria rather than caste
Hundreds of people gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Friday to protest against caste-based reservation, demanding that affirmative action be based on economic criteria rather than caste.
The demonstration followed a call issued by "Reservation Hatao Andolan", an Instagram-based page that subsequently urged people to join a physical protest at Jantar Mantar.
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- 21 Aug 2026, 06:28:29 PM IST
'Reservation Hatao Andolan' protest LIVE: Stir continues well beyond the permitted time
The protest remains active in Delhi even as the permitted time has passed. Delhi Police's NOC permitted a gathering of up to 500 people at Ramlila Maidan until 4 pm. The protesters, however, have remained at Jantar Mantar and exceeded the permitted time.
- 21 Aug 2026, 06:18:58 PM IST
‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ protest LIVE updates: Delhi Police to file FIR after Rahul Gandhi’s dharna over student’s complaint
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police were set to register an FIR on a complaint alleging that a student suffered pellet gun injuries during the July 20 Jantar Mantar protest, hours after Rahul Gandhi staged a dharna at Parliament Street Police Station, demanding action.
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- 21 Aug 2026, 05:14:10 PM IST
‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ protest LIVE updates: Security heightened at Jantar Mantar
- 21 Aug 2026, 04:38:37 PM IST
‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ protest LIVE updates: Protesters remain as allotted time passes
The protest remains active in Delhi even as the permitted time has passed. Delhi Police's NOC permitted a gathering of up to 500 people at Ramlila Ground until 4 pm. The protesters, however, have remained at Jantar Mantar and exceeded the permitted time.
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- 21 Aug 2026, 04:24:47 PM IST
‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ protest LIVE updates: Protesters recite Hanuman Chalisa
- 21 Aug 2026, 04:15:38 PM IST
‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ protest LIVE updates: What BJP said on Rahul Gandhi's sit-in
BJP described the Congress as a “party of anarchy” following Rahul Gandhi’s protest at the Parliament Street police station in Delhi on Friday, a short distance away from the ‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’s stir at Jantar Mantar, over the registration of an FIR concerning the alleged use of a pellet gun during the CJP-led protest. The ruling party also alleged that Rahul was staging the sit-in to divert attention after the Congress realised that its stand on Vande Mataram was wrong.
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- 21 Aug 2026, 04:10:20 PM IST
‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ protest LIVE updates: Rahul Gandhi's protest a short distance away
Meanwhile, not far away from the ‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, sat on a dharna outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police at Delhi’s Parliament Street Police Station, protesting an alleged refusal to register an FIR on a complaint by a student who the Congress said suffered pellet-gun injuries during last month’s protests demanding education reforms.
- 21 Aug 2026, 04:05:05 PM IST
‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ protest LIVE updates: Protesters also demand UGC rules rollback
Protesters at Jantar Mantar are also demanding a rollback of UGC rules, which have been stayed by the Supreme Court.
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- 21 Aug 2026, 03:42:16 PM IST
‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ protest LIVE updates: How RHA emulated CJP
The platform rapidly gained traction by adopting the protest-mobilisation tactics of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and has now called for a physical protest against the reservation system on August 21.
- 21 Aug 2026, 03:21:08 PM IST
‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ protest LIVE updates: A protester says will continue stir at Jantar Mantar
We are sitting at Jantar Mantar. We have asked for permission to protest here, and this is exactly where we want to be.
— Abhinay Pandey (@AbhinayWithYou) August 21, 2026
And we will continue to sit here.#21AugReservationHataoAndolan https://t.co/wrSy0fm9pr - {{^htLoading}}
- 21 Aug 2026, 03:09:48 PM IST
‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ protest LIVE updates: Protesters still at Jantar Mantar
- 21 Aug 2026, 02:56:23 PM IST
‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ protest LIVE updates: What are the demands?
The ‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’:
Advocates for academic admissions and public employment to be determined solely by merit and talent rather than caste quotas.Proposes ending the requirement to declare or record caste details on public forms, job applications, and educational processes under a "One Nation, One Identity" framework.
Suggests that government assistance or affirmative action should instead be based purely on economic status, disability, orphan status, or being a child of a martyr, regardless of caste or religion.
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- 21 Aug 2026, 02:54:09 PM IST
‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ protest LIVE updates: What is RHA?
‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ is a viral, digital campaign and social media movement in India advocating for the abolition or major reform of the caste-based reservation system in government jobs and educational institutions.
- 21 Aug 2026, 02:51:51 PM IST
‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ protest LIVE updates: RHA slams protest venue change
“Permission was sought a month ago for Jantar Mantar. But on the day of the protest, at 12 noon suddenly the venue was changed to Ramleela Maidan and the number fixed at 500. You're not changing the place, your attempt is to somehow limit the voice,” RHA wrote on X.
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