Delhi Police have denied permission for a protest planned at Jantar Mantar on Saturday by the Cockroach Janta Party and several student organisations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing late submission of the application and prohibitory orders in force across New Delhi district.
Joint Commissioner of Police Nupur Prasad said the application was received on October 7, three days before the proposed demonstration. According to the police, applications seeking permission for such protests must be submitted at least 10 days in advance.
The denial places the planned demonstration within two separate administrative constraints: the stated advance-notice requirement for public gatherings and restrictions imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, or BNSS. The provision empowers authorities to issue orders restricting assembly and other activities when necessary to prevent potential disturbances and maintain public order.
The restrictions apply across the New Delhi district, which includes the administrative core of the national capital and several high-security and high-footfall areas. Jantar Mantar is a recognised location for public demonstrations, but the police position indicates that use of the site remains subject to procedural requirements and prevailing public-order orders.
The Cockroach Janta Party, however, disputes the need for police permission. Its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, said, “Jantar Mantar a designated site to protest, police permission not needed”. The statement sets out the organisers’ position that the site’s designated status should allow the protest to proceed without police approval.
The disagreement highlights the administrative framework governing public demonstrations in central Delhi. A designated protest location does not, on the facts available, remove the requirement for organisers to comply with application procedures or orders issued under public-order law. At the same time, the organisers’ response shows that the legal and administrative status of designated protest spaces remains contested in practice.
The proposed protest was to be held against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The available report does not provide further details about the organisations participating, the specific demands beyond opposition to the Chief Election Commissioner, or the police’s assessment of any particular security risk.
With the proposed demonstration scheduled for Saturday, the immediate question is whether the organisers will alter their plans or seek further clarification from Delhi Police. The police’s stated position remains that permission was denied because the application was submitted later than the required 10-day period and because Section 163 prohibitory orders are currently in force across New Delhi district.
