Delhi Police has confirmed that no permission has been granted for a protest regarding reservation reforms at Jantar Mantar on August 21, describing social media videos suggesting otherwise as “false and misleading.”
In an official statement, the police said, “Various videos are circulating regarding the alleged grant of permission for a protest, on the issue of reservation reforms, at Jantar Mantar on 21 August, which is false and misleading.”
The police emphasized that no approval has been issued to anyone to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar on that date. They added that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS (formerly Section 144 CrPC) are currently in effect in the New Delhi district.
Authorities warned the public against amplifying, forwarding, relying on or sharing unverified information related to the alleged protest permission. Protest marches, processions, demonstrations and gatherings of five or more persons remain strictly prohibited, and legal action may be taken against individuals involved in creating or disseminating false information.
The clarification followed a poster shared on Thursday by the Instagram page “Reservation Hatao Andolan” (RHA), which has 5.6 million followers. The post announced a “peaceful protest” at Jantar Mantar scheduled for 2 pm on August 21 and urged people to join.
Reservation Hatao Andolan, an Instagram-based platform, has rapidly gained attention by adopting mobilization tactics similar to those of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and called for a physical protest against the reservation system on August 21.