Delhi liquor shops will remain closed on October 9 and 10 after the city government ordered a two-day shutdown of retail liquor vends as a preventive measure to maintain public order. The order covers outlets operating under specified excise licences and comes amid a proposed protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10.
The Excise Department issued the closure order on the basis of inputs from the Delhi Police, according to a report by Millennium Post. It directs the shutdown of retail liquor outlets operating under L6, L6&L6FG, L8, L10 and L8&L14 licences.
The order does not extend to every establishment serving alcohol. Hotels, clubs, bars and restaurants that hold valid excise licences to serve liquor will be allowed to remain open during the two-day period. The distinction means the restriction is focused on retail liquor vends rather than licensed hospitality venues more broadly.
The decision follows calls for a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10 seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The report said permission has not been granted for the proposed gathering.
More than 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed across Delhi in connection with the public-order arrangements. The deployment and the liquor-vend closure form part of the authorities’ preparations ahead of the proposed gathering, although the Excise Department order specifically cites public order as the reason for the shutdown.
For residents, the immediate effect is a temporary halt in retail liquor sales at the specified outlets on two consecutive days. Customers using hotels, clubs, bars and restaurants will face a different arrangement because those establishments may continue serving liquor if they hold valid excise licences.
The order also illustrates how Delhi’s excise administration can be used as part of a wider public-order response when the police anticipate a major gathering. In this case, the action is limited by date, licence category and establishment type, while the security arrangements cover the city more broadly.
The proposed protest remains subject to the authorities’ position that no permission has been granted for the Jantar Mantar gathering. The retail liquor outlets covered by the order are scheduled to remain shut through October 10.
