Resident welfare associations in Lutyens’ Delhi have sought intervention from the Supreme Court, the Union home minister and the Delhi Police commissioner over the disruption allegedly caused by repeated protests, including barricading, route closures and loud gatherings in central New Delhi.
The RWAs say demonstrations are affecting daily movement and creating conditions in which residents feel effectively confined to their homes. Their concerns include difficulty reaching workplaces, schools and hospitals, as well as longer travel times when roads are closed or traffic is diverted.
According to the report by Jagran – New Delhi, residents said the impact has been particularly severe for older people, children, office-goers and households requiring medical assistance. Some residents claimed that journeys that would ordinarily take about 30 minutes have stretched to two or three hours because vehicles are being forced to use alternative routes.
The RWAs have acknowledged that the right to protest is important in a democracy. Their request is that the exercise of that right should not prevent other citizens from living peacefully or travelling without avoidable obstruction. They have asked the authorities to regulate protest locations and protect what they describe as residents’ constitutional right to peaceful living.
The residents’ appeal also refers to earlier Supreme Court arrangements concerning demonstrations at Jantar Mantar. The RWAs said the court had directed that alternative locations be made available for protests. They further cited instructions that demonstrations at Jantar Mantar should not continue beyond 5 pm and that an assistant commissioner of police-level officer would be responsible for ensuring a peaceful environment for residents in the area.
The report quoted advocate Rajiv Singh, a resident of the Dhawandeep Building near Jantar Mantar, and Saurabh Gandhi, identified as the general secretary of the YRD, as raising concerns about the continued disruption. It also quoted Varun Seth, a resident of a bungalow near Jantar Mantar, who said a sick elderly person in his household could not be taken to a doctor, while a doctor could not reach the home. He also said that children were unable to attend school and domestic workers were unable to report for work.
The issue illustrates the operational difficulty of managing demonstrations in a district that combines government offices, diplomatic and institutional areas, commercial destinations, residential buildings and major transport routes. In such a setting, a protest-related closure can affect not only people attending or living near the site but also commuters travelling through the wider central Delhi network.
The residents’ letters have asked the Supreme Court, the Union home ministry and the Delhi Police to intervene. The RWAs have specifically sought enforcement of restrictions governing demonstration sites and measures to prevent road blockages from continuing to interfere with access to homes and essential services. The report does not state that the Supreme Court or the authorities have issued a fresh order in response to the latest representations.
