Connaught Place businesses are facing fresh disruption from protests, with a restaurant owner moving the Delhi High Court for compensation and restrictions on a proposed gathering at Central Park, while Delhi Police has issued a notice to the organiser ahead of the event scheduled for Friday evening.
The Cockroach Janta Party has called for a Tiranga March at Central Park in Connaught Place at 5pm on October 16. Delhi Police served a notice on party founder Abhijeet Dipke, directing him to refrain from actions that could prejudice the rights of citizens, traders, commuters and others.
The notice came as Aayush Chopra, whose family has operated Minar Restaurant in Connaught Place since July 2017, approached the High Court seeking compensation for losses allegedly caused by protests. His petition also seeks directions to prevent the proposed Central Park gathering and other unauthorised demonstrations in the market.
The plea was mentioned before a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Nitin Vasudev Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma. The bench directed that the matter be listed along with connected petitions. Chopra’s restaurant is around 700 metres from the proposed gathering site.
According to the petition, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke called on people on October 14 to assemble at Central Park on October 16. The petitioner has sought an assessment of losses suffered by him and other traders during an agitation on October 10, along with compensation from those responsible. The plea claims that shops in Connaught Place remained closed that day despite permission for the gathering having been refused.
The petition cites estimates from trader bodies to quantify the commercial impact. The New Delhi Traders Association estimated losses in Connaught Place at Rs 150 crore to Rs 200 crore on October 10, while the Chamber of Trade and Industry estimated that business worth Rs 2,000 crore was affected across Delhi. These figures have been cited by the petitioner and have not been independently assessed in the material available.
National Restaurant Association of India treasurer Manpreet Singh said the announcement of protests had discouraged people from visiting Connaught Place, even when movement restrictions were not in force. “People are afraid to come here. They do not want to get involved in a protest or find themselves in a difficult situation,” Singh said, according to PTI.
Singh said the effect was particularly damaging during the festive season, when families typically visit Connaught Place for shopping, entertainment and dining. He said restaurants depended not only on their own customers but also on visitors coming to nearby shops and recreational venues. “There is a difference between low sales and zero sales. On several days, sales have been zero,” he said.
The restaurant association representative urged political parties and protesters to use designated protest sites rather than commercial districts. He said businesses in and around Connaught Place employed lakhs of people and required regular sales to meet operating costs and pay salaries.
The petition argues that Central Park is not a designated protest site and refers to a standing order regulating demonstrations in and around Central Vista. It also states that Jantar Mantar was denotified as a designated protest site on October 11, with three alternative venues identified. The petitioner has argued that the right to protest must be balanced against the rights of traders and businesses to carry on their livelihoods.
The plea cites the Supreme Court’s observation that protests cannot take place anytime and anywhere and must be held at designated sites. The High Court’s next listing and the police direction to the organiser will determine the immediate legal and administrative handling of the proposed gathering.
