Connaught Place protest violence was reported on Saturday after groups of men allegedly threatened, chased and assaulted demonstrators near Indira Chowk, while Delhi Police personnel remained stationed nearby. The incidents followed the detention of hundreds of protesters who were attempting to reach Jantar Mantar for a planned Cockroach Janta Party demonstration.
According to The Hindu’s report, around 200 men gathered near Indira Chowk and raised slogans supporting police action against the protesters. Some members allegedly called for violence against supporters of the party and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Several members identifying themselves as Hanuman Sena Delhi were seen heckling and abusing demonstrators, while some allegedly slapped protesters and pursued them through Connaught Place’s inner circle.
The confrontations took place about 50 metres from police personnel stationed near the entrance to Kharak Singh Marg. The report said officers were visible as protesters were chased and physically confronted but did not intervene. When asked why the police were not acting, one officer was quoted as saying, “We are seeing what can be done.” Another officer did not respond.
The gathering occurred while prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita were in force in the area. The restrictions were also being enforced against protesters attempting to reach the designated demonstration site. The sequence has raised questions about how restrictions on public assembly were applied and whether police protection was provided equally to people present in the area.
Videos shared on social media showed separate confrontations. In one, a young woman appeared to be knocked to the ground and assaulted by a group of men. In another, a protester was chased along a road and attacked. One attacker appeared to be holding a metal knuckle, and the demonstrator was seen with multiple wounds on his back while fleeing. Police personnel appeared to be standing nearby in the footage, although the report did not establish whether any arrests or formal complaints had followed.
The incidents came after calls circulated on social media over the preceding days by individuals associated with right-wing groups who threatened to reach Jantar Mantar with batons and confront CJP protesters. Protesters also alleged that police personnel and members of the group pursued demonstrators together in some instances. These allegations were reported in the context of the wider detentions and confrontations, but the report did not provide an independent police confirmation of them.
The Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress criticised the alleged assaults and questioned the police response. Both parties shared videos of the incidents and accused the authorities of allowing attacks on protesters. Their statements were political reactions to the reported events and did not constitute an official police account.
The episode places Connaught Place, one of Delhi’s busiest public and commercial spaces, at the centre of questions about crowd control, protection of demonstrators and the enforcement of prohibitory orders. The immediate official response, including whether police registered cases, made arrests or issued a detailed account of the incidents, remains to be established.
