Hundreds of protesters who were unable to reach Jantar Mantar because of police barricades gathered around Dilli Haat and the INA area on Saturday, October 10, with police detaining demonstrators as groups moved through roads, metro access points and adjoining residential colonies in south Delhi.
The protesters, many of them unaffiliated with any organisation, had spent hours trying to reach Jantar Mantar. At 1.10 p.m., All India Students’ Association president Neha Bora announced on social media that the protest had shifted to Dilli Haat. The call came after access to the designated protest site was blocked by barricades.
Protesters began gathering through the AIIMS Metro station, while police barricaded the Safdarjung flyover as students moved towards the area. The crowds later spread near INA Metro station, the end of the Safdarjung flyover, INA market and nearby residential lanes. The Hindu reported that police personnel chased and detained several groups during the afternoon.
During the first two rounds of detentions near the flyover, police personnel were seen wielding lathis. Bora and other leaders were subsequently detained, while one protester was seen bleeding from the head. A Delhi University student identified as Pratya said he had been hit on the leg with a wooden stick. The report also described women protesters being dragged away and detainees shouting from police buses.
By evening, hundreds had gathered near Dilli Haat Metro station, where police personnel were seen placing protesters into buses. Some demonstrators wore masks, saying that revealing their identities could have security and family repercussions. Two recent Ashoka University graduates told The Hindu that it took them about four hours to reach Dilli Haat and that they chose to attend after it became clear that reaching Jantar Mantar was difficult.
The continued operation of the AIIMS Metro station and mobile internet services helped protesters reach the area, according to those quoted in the report. Groups were seen walking along roads, discussing the detention of friends and attempting to mobilise without assembling in large numbers. Police personnel were repeatedly seen running after groups to disperse and detain them, including protesters walking alone towards the INA Metro station gate.
The protest also disrupted activity at Dilli Haat. At around 4 p.m., people shopping inside the complex were asked to leave and the gates were shut. Women hawkers selling jewellery outside the complex were also asked to move away. Some of the hawkers objected to the police action and were seen filming personnel detaining students.
Protesters questioned police personnel about missing nameplates during the detentions. The personnel reportedly said their nameplates had broken while they were detaining demonstrators. Larger groups continued to move through inner lanes and along both sides of the flyover, while police action prevented protesters from remaining together at a single location.
By 4.30 p.m., hundreds had gathered on the road before being detained minutes later. The report did not specify the total number of people detained, the legal provisions under which they were held or whether any formal cases had been registered. The protest activity and detentions continued across the INA-Dilli Haat area as the day progressed.
