I
t was supposed to be another day of protest at Jantar Mantar. But it wasn't going to remain so for too long.
About 300 protesters converged at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to protest reservation system, according to police reports, over 20 of them had been detained and moved from there because no permission had been granted for their rally.
By the time evening arrived, they hadn’t just dispersed, but had assembled elsewhere in the city.
This was not a protest against reservation in itself—organizers were careful to present it as such. One of the important demands made in this demonstration was that of applying the creamy layer test and revisiting the current system of reservation, along with changes in policies related to SC/ST/OBC categories.
One of the protesters made the point quite clear: "We do not oppose reservation. What we demand is reforms in the current system of reservation. The government must understand that poor people of all communities suffer and their voices need to be heard too."
The police were not caught unprepared, as they had foreseen the arrival of a large number of demonstrators beforehand.
The Delhi Police, in preparation for the demonstration, had positioned their personnel and paramilitary units strategically in the region, while the Rapid Action Force was called in to be positioned at the spot where the demonstration would take place as it became increasingly crowded.
The videos revealed that police personnel were arresting the demonstrators, who mostly comprised men, amid a large crowd that was shouting slogans opposing caste-based reservation.
Different from those protests which are organized by well-known political parties or trade unions, this one originated in the virtual space.
The protestors were called up by “Reservation Hatao Andolan,” a Facebook page fighting against the current reservation system and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. In other words, protestors used social networks to organize the protest without forming any official organization.
The protesters wanted economic criteria to be prioritized over caste when it comes to access to assistance provided by the government.
The tension increased in the evening as the number of people present at the venue did not seem to be dwindling.
At around 7:30 pm, the police, through loud speakers, declared the rally as illegal and started evacuating the protesters by bus.
The protesters were not easily willing to leave peacefully. The protesters chanted slogans criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the police operation itself, shouting “Jab Jab Modi Darta Hai, Police Ko Aage Karta Hai”, a popular slogan that has emerged from recent protests in the city and that initially became famous in a police operation against students heading towards Parliament.
The clearing of Jantar Mantar did not put an end to the demonstration.
Nevertheless, the dispersion of the demonstration did not indicate an end to the protest as some of the demonstrators gathered again in other places in central Delhi such as Connaught Place, Janpath, and Ashoka Road.
In fact, the choice of the Connaught Place, which is among the busiest commercial areas in Delhi, as the place of gathering made the demonstration very visible.
Police gave the traditional excuse for considering the rally as an unauthorized one from the very beginning.
The authorities claimed that there was no authorization granted to hold such a demonstration, and according to the prohibitory orders issued now in the entire New Delhi district, any unauthorized congregation of more than five people, whether it be a protest march, rally, or sit-in, is not allowed.
This legal approach has almost become a common characteristic of the protests held in Delhi in 2026.
It's not that the Friday protest was a lone protest; rather, it's just another protest among the many other protests carried out under the same slogan.
Just a few days ago, Delhi Police arrested some protesters who held a protest at Jantar Mantar under the same name 'Reservation Hatao Andolan' as the crowd turnout was too massive and without any permissions for such a protest.
This protest had people calling for reforms in the reservation system along with the UGC policy framework itself.
The policy of reservation has continued to be one of the most controversial and legalistically fought upon subjects in India since it deals with caste, socio-economic status, and constitutional rights, which have been a matter of controversy for decades now.
Demands for change, whether it is by implementing the creamy layer criterion, economic consideration, or reviewing the present quota system, always receive a strong reaction from those who consider any modification in the present system to be an assault on the constitutional rights of the marginalised communities.
It is this very reason that has led to the large presence of police personnel for an event where only about 300 protesters have gathered.
Now that all of the detained protesters have been released from custody and the demonstrators have already exhibited a tendency to reform themselves in alternative places after being dispersed, the police will probably continue to be on high alert in the coming days in Jantar Mantar and Connaught Place.
Since this is not the first 'Reservation Hatao Andolan' demonstration of this month and since social media-mobilised demonstrations have been successful so far in defying any denial of permission, more such demonstrations seem to be likely unless an agreement is reached between the organizers and the authorities.
