The Delhi High Court has instructed the Delhi Police to evaluate and reach a decision on the application submitted by the Kshatriya Karni Sena, which seeks permission to conduct a demonstration at Jantar Mantar. The protest is scheduled for September 20 and aims to oppose reservation policies and certain University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma mandated that the police communicate their decision to the organization by September 14. Furthermore, the authorities are allowed to set any necessary conditions on the demonstration.
Justice Sharma stated, “You [Kshatriya Karni Sena] submit your representation, and they [the police] will decide by September 14. And you [the police] will need to inform them. You can impose any conditions you deem necessary.”
The directive from the court followed a submission by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma. He informed the court that permission for a protest initially planned for September 6 was denied due to the BRICS summit. He assured that the police would review the protest request after the summit concludes.
The High Court considered a plea filed by Dr. Raj Shekhawat, leader of the Kshatriya Karni Sena, which challenged the decision by Delhi Police to deny their request for a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar on September 6. Dr. Shekhawat had filed a written application on August 27, agreeing to adhere to all lawful directions and reasonable conditions. However, the police rejected this request on August 28, citing ongoing preparations for the BRICS Summit as the reason.
During the court proceedings on September 3, Justice Amit Mahajan suggested that the petitioner consider an alternative date for the protest. He remarked, “Change the date of the protest. What is so sacrosanct about the date? If the police is not agreeing on a particular date, you can do it on another day. I can’t permit you without hearing them [the police].”
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Subsequently, counsel representing the petitioner informed the court that the organization had chosen to reschedule the demonstration for September 20. Consequently, the court ordered the police to deliver their decision regarding this new date by September 14.
Advocates Himanshu Sharma, Abhishek Tyagi, and Roshan Dhanai appeared on behalf of the petitioner in this matter.
