The Delhi High Court will hear on Friday a petition filed by the Indian Youth Congress challenging Delhi Police’s refusal to allow a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar. The petition seeks permission for what the organisation describes as a peaceful demonstration over allegations of electoral malpractice.
The court accepted the petition on Thursday and directed that it be listed for hearing within 24 hours. The matter was placed before a bench headed by Justice Nitin Vasudev after senior advocate Sanjoy Ghosh presented arguments on behalf of the petitioner.
The petition was filed by IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib. According to the report, the organisation approached the High Court after Delhi Police rejected its request to hold the demonstration at Jantar Mantar. The petition challenges the police decision and asks the court to consider the organisation’s request for permission to protest.
The IYC has alleged that it wanted to hold a peaceful demonstration in connection with accusations of electoral malpractice against Kumar. The report does not state that the court has made any finding on those allegations, nor does it indicate that the High Court has granted permission for the protest at this stage.
The case places the administration of public demonstrations before the court, with Delhi Police’s decision forming the immediate subject of the challenge. Jantar Mantar is a designated protest location in the national capital, and requests to use such spaces involve coordination between organisers and public authorities. The available report, however, does not provide the police’s detailed reasons for rejecting the IYC’s request or specify any conditions proposed for the demonstration.
The petition was listed after the bench heard the submissions made by the petitioner’s counsel. The court’s decision to schedule the matter for Friday means that the immediate question before it will be whether the police’s refusal should stand and whether any direction should be issued regarding the proposed protest.
The hearing will also establish the next procedural step in the dispute between the IYC and Delhi Police. Until the court passes an order, the organisation’s request to demonstrate at Jantar Mantar remains under consideration. The report does not specify the proposed date, duration, expected turnout or operational arrangements for the protest.
