20 detained at Connaught Place for reservation stir; police debunk Jantar Mantar rumours
Police say no protest was permitted or held in Jantar Mantar; Union minister Chirag Paswan urges protesters to present their demands systematically
Delhi Police detained over 20 protesters from Connaught Place’s outer circle when around 300 people gathered there to protest against caste-based reservation and demand reforms in the quota system.
The protesters, who raised slogans and carried placards, called for greater emphasis on economic criteria in deciding eligibility for reservation and government support, arguing that assistance should reach economically disadvantaged people irrespective of caste.
Police said over 20 people were detained and removed from the site as no permission had been granted for the demonstration.
No protest at Jantar Mantar: Cops
Meanwhile, the police rejected as “false and misleading” a video circulating on social media that purportedly showed a large gathering protesting over reservation reforms at Jantar Mantar on Sunday (August 23).
In a post on X, the DCP New Delhi said no permission had been granted for any such protest at Jantar Mantar on Sunday. The police also clarified that no protest related to the issue was taking place at the venue. It said prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which replaced Section 144 of the CrPC, were already in force across the New Delhi district.
Under the orders, protest marches, processions, demonstrations and assemblies involving five or more people are prohibited.
Also read | ‘Refuse the villain role’: Delhi cops get guidelines to handle Gen Z protesters
Protesters' demands
A key demand raised during the Connaught Place demonstration was the introduction of a creamy-layer criterion and a review of the existing reservation framework. Protesters also sought changes in policies concerning Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.
“We are not against reservation. We want reforms in reservation. The government should understand that poor people from all communities also face difficulties and their concerns should be heard,” a protester said.
Another participant said the existing system should be examined to ensure that its benefits reach those who genuinely need support.
The protesters also raised concerns over the University Grants Commission framework and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, seeking a broader review of policies they said affected opportunities in education and employment.
Police warning
Police warned that legal action could be initiated against people found creating or disseminating fake or misleading information. Citizens were advised not to gather on the basis of such posts or videos and not to forward, share or amplify unverified content. They were also urged to rely only on verified information.
The clarification came amid the circulation of a video claiming that a large gathering had assembled at Jantar Mantar in connection with demands related to reservation reforms. Police said the claim did not reflect the situation at the venue on August 23.
Paswan calls for systematic demands
Meanwhile, Union minister Chirag Paswan has said that the government would engage in dialogue with anti-reservation protesters once they present their demands in a systematic manner.
Talking to reporters in Patna on Saturday, Paswan said, “Any sort of misunderstanding around reservation can create anger among a large section of the country’s population. Once the protesters present their demands systematically, the government will engage in dialogue with them.”
On the demand for quota on economic basis, Paswan said the NDA government had already introduced 10 per cent reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). He also accused the Congress of “diverting people’s attention” from the Vande Mataram row by staging a sit-in outside the Parliament Street police station in the national capital.
(With agency inputs)