Delhi hotel restrictions have widened ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s planned protest on October 10, with several hotels in Paharganj reportedly instructed to turn away some guests while traders in Connaught Place have been asked to shut shops, offices and restaurants as a precautionary measure.
The reported instructions affect people carrying identity documents with Delhi addresses, as well as students and young people arriving from outside the Capital. Hotel owners said they received directions either from police personnel who visited their premises or through messages circulated in hotel owners’ groups. The restrictions come ahead of the protest at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
At least six hotels in Paharganj, a major budget accommodation hub near New Delhi Railway Station, were reportedly asked to refuse rooms to young guests from other states and to people from Delhi. The neighbourhood is about 3-4 km from Jantar Mantar and serves students, backpackers, families and other travellers seeking affordable accommodation.
The manager of Hotel De Cruise told The Indian Express that two beat officers visited the property on Wednesday and instructed staff not to provide rooms to youngsters and students arriving from outside the state. The hotel was also asked to inform police if such guests arrived. Staff at Hotel Sapna reported a similar visit and said the property was complying with the instructions.
At Exotica Inn, staff said they had been told not to accommodate guests carrying IDs with Delhi addresses on Friday. A couple from Chattarpur alleged that they were turned away from Hotel Metropolis because their identity documents carried Delhi addresses. They told the newspaper that they had approached several hotels in the area but were unable to secure accommodation.
The owner of Hotel Metropolis said he had received a message in the hotel owners’ group at about 2 pm advising members not to allow guests with Delhi addresses. Staff at Hotel Krishna Plaza said instructions had been circulated to refuse service to large groups and follow the prescribed protocol. The accounts indicate that the restrictions were being implemented through hotel-level instructions and owner networks, rather than through a publicly cited notification in the report.
The developments have also affected commercial establishments in Connaught Place, one of central Delhi’s principal retail, office, food and public-transport districts. The New Delhi Traders Association issued an “Urgent Advisory Circular” asking shop owners and office establishments to remain vigilant and close on October 10. The advisory, issued by NDTA president Atul Bhargava, said the decision was based on advice from authorities and the “critical situation around CP”.
The association described the closure as a precautionary safety measure and asked owners and occupiers to cooperate to avoid an “unpleasant situation”, including possible property damage and injuries during the expected protest. The advisory places the burden of managing operational disruption on businesses in a district that combines commercial activity with high visitor and commuter movement.
The reported measures affect two closely connected parts of Delhi’s central urban system: Paharganj’s low-cost accommodation market and Connaught Place’s high-footfall commercial core. The hotels’ accounts, the couple’s allegation and the traders’ advisory were reported by The Indian Express. The protest and the associated restrictions are scheduled for October 10.
