Security was tightened outside Parliament Street Police Station in New Delhi on October 12 as leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) prepared to seek a fresh date from the Delhi Police for a proposed protest at Jantar Mantar. The move followed the police denial of permission for the party’s planned October 10 demonstration.
CJP co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka said he would visit the police station along with Saurav Das, Ratna Singh and other party leaders to request a new date for what the party described as a peaceful protest at the designated demonstration site. “Delhi Police can give us a date for Jantar Mantar in 24 hours, or we will give another protest call ourselves,” Mr. Ranka said, according to The Hindu.
A public announcement outside the police station warned people about security restrictions and prohibitory orders. It also asked members of the public to maintain peace and avoid unauthorised gatherings. Police personnel and barricades were deployed in the area as security agencies sought to prevent protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar.
The latest security measures came after two days of protests across central Delhi involving student groups and CJP supporters. The developments are part of wider restrictions on demonstrations in New Delhi, where police have been managing competing demands for public assembly, traffic movement and law-and-order control around key government and institutional areas.
The Delhi Police denied permission for the CJP’s October 10 protest on October 9. The reasons cited included alleged non-compliance with an undertaking given during an earlier protest, the short notice for the proposed demonstration, and a requirement that applications be submitted at least 10 days in advance. The police also raised concerns related to law and order and traffic management.
The proposed demonstration had been communicated to the police through an ‘intimation letter’ submitted by Mr. Das on October 7. The party’s latest visit to the police station is intended to secure an alternative date rather than proceed with the previously proposed October 10 programme.
The episode places Parliament Street Police Station and the Jantar Mantar protest zone at the centre of an administrative dispute over the scheduling and regulation of demonstrations in central Delhi. The police have not announced a fresh date for the CJP protest in the information available. CJP leaders have said they will seek a response within 24 hours and may issue another protest call if permission is not granted.
