Delhi liquor shops operating under specified licence categories will remain closed on 9 and 10 October ahead of a planned protest at Jantar Mantar, according to an order issued by the Delhi Excise Department. The department said the restriction was imposed as a precautionary measure based on information received from the Delhi Police.
The order covers all retail liquor shops holding L-6, L-6A, L-6FG, L-8, L-10, L-14 and related licences listed in the notification. The closures coincide with a protest reported to have been called for 10 October by the Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP, over a demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The excise department’s decision links the temporary shutdown to law-and-order concerns rather than to a change in Delhi’s liquor policy. The order, as reported by Live Hindustan – NCR, states that the action was taken on the basis of police information and as a precautionary step.
Security arrangements have also been intensified in the capital. A senior police officer was quoted as saying that more than 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel would be deployed in Delhi in connection with the reported protest. The deployment is intended to manage security conditions around the proposed gathering and other demonstrations relating to the demand for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation.
The protest organisers have reportedly submitted formal information about the 10 October event to the Parliament Street police station. However, Delhi Police has said that permission for a demonstration at Jantar Mantar has not been granted. The police have appealed to people not to join any unauthorised gathering.
The conflicting positions over the planned event mean that the public-facing impact will extend beyond the temporary closure of liquor outlets. Police deployment, restrictions on gatherings and possible movement controls could affect access to central Delhi, particularly around Jantar Mantar and the Parliament Street area. The source report does not specify whether additional road diversions or restrictions on public transport have been announced.
The liquor-shop closure will remain in force for the two dates specified in the excise order. Further action regarding the proposed protest will depend on Delhi Police’s enforcement of its position that no permission has been granted for the gathering.
