The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought the Centre’s response to petitions by traders, vendors and lawyers seeking regulation of protests in the national capital, with petitioners claiming that barricading and demonstrations in Central Delhi have disrupted access and business activity.
A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma directed counsel appearing for the Centre and other authorities to seek instructions before the matter is listed on October 16. The court also asked the petitioners to place on record copies of petitions concerning protests that are pending before the Supreme Court.
“We don’t want to cover an area already sub judice in the Supreme Court,” the Bench told the petitioners, according to the report. Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma informed the court that the petitions before the Supreme Court had been adjourned to October 15.
The Delhi proceedings follow months of protests in Central Delhi by opposition parties, student groups and civil society organisations over issues related to the functioning of the Election Commission of India. The demonstrations have taken place since June-July, according to the report.
The petitioners argued that the Supreme Court has issued several directions concerning the regulation of protests and that these directions should be implemented. Their demand is for protests in Delhi to be managed according to governing standard operating procedures, although the report does not specify the exact framework sought in the petitions.
Representing traders, senior counsel Sanjay Poddar told the court that October to February is the “best time for business” because of the festive season, and argued that recent protests had adversely affected commercial activity. Senior counsel Sacchin Puri, appearing for petitioner Rishabh Saxena, a lawyer, said that large gatherings in Central Delhi had brought movement in the area to a halt.
While seeking an urgent hearing earlier in the day, Mr. Puri submitted that traders had lost up to ₹2,000 crore because of barricading and the manner in which protests were being conducted. He also said areas such as Connaught Place had become “completely unapproachable”. The claim was made in court and has not been independently quantified in the supplied report.
The case places a recurring urban administration problem before the High Court: how authorities can manage demonstrations in dense commercial and civic districts while preserving access, mobility and the right to assemble. Central Delhi contains major retail, office, institutional and public spaces, making the location and management of protests directly relevant to residents, workers, visitors and businesses.
The immediate legal question is also linked to proceedings in the Supreme Court. The High Court has therefore asked the petitioners to provide the relevant top court filings before deciding how far it should proceed with the matter. The case is expected to return before the Bench on October 16, after the Centre seeks instructions and the Supreme Court proceedings are taken up on October 15.
