Anti-reservation protest draws large crowd at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar; several detained
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Anti-reservation protest draws large crowd at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar; several detained")
Anti-reservation protest draws large crowd at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar; several detained Photograph: (ANI)
Anti-reservation protesters gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, demanding reservation reforms and opposing UGC norms amid heavy security and detentions
New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar witnessed another major mobilisation on Friday as protesters from the unreserved classes gathered under the banner of Reservation Reform Andolan, demanding changes to India’s reservation system and opposing the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) equity regulations. The demonstration was held amid heavy security, with Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel deployed around the protest site. As the gathering continued, security personnel moved in and detained several protesters. Demonstrators maintained that their protest was peaceful and focused on their opposition to the existing caste-based reservation system and the UGC norms.
The protest was organised by Reservation Reform Andolan and led by NEET aspirant Harsh Dubey. It was also joined by Rajasthan-based General Sena and Chanakya Sena, along with the Karni Sena. The demonstration followed confusion over whether permission had been granted for the gathering at Jantar Mantar. Influencer Ajeet Bharti, who has been vocal about reservation-related issues and the UGC regulations, was also present. Videos shared on X by journalists and attendees showed protesters reciting the Hanuman Chalisa and raising chants of "Siyawar Ramchandra ki Jai".
Some demonstrators also opposed the SC/ST Act and called for its withdrawal. They argued that laws should not be misused against individuals and urged the government to take steps to prevent such alleged misuse, according to a report by Aaj Tak.
A ground report by UP Tak, India Today Digital’s sister portal, said protesters claimed that thousands had gathered, although there was no official estimate of the crowd.
Barricades were erected around Jantar Mantar, while Delhi Police, RAF and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel were deployed in the area. Several social media accounts covering the protest claimed that the turnout challenged the perception that an anti-reservation demonstration would fail to attract a significant crowd.
Confusion over Jantar Mantar and Ramlila Maidan
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
The demonstration centred on demands for reforms in India’s reservation system. Several protesters argued that economic circumstances should be considered when determining eligibility for reservation benefits. The protesters also raised objections to the UGC equity regulations, which had been stayed.
The protest was preceded by a dispute over permission and the venue. In a public notice, Delhi Police said office-bearers of the Reservation Hatao Andolan had been informed through official communication and asked everyone to "adhere [to] the lawful instructions and remain peaceful". However, organisers insisted on holding the demonstration at Jantar Mantar rather than shifting to another location. "We are sitting at Jantar Mantar. We have asked for permission to protest here, and this is exactly where we want to be. And we will continue to sit here," anti-reservation activist Abhinay Pandey wrote on X.
At the protest site, organiser Harsh Dubey alleged that people attempting to join the demonstration were being stopped outside. He also claimed that organisers had spent several hours discussing the matter with police before being asked to shift the protest to Ramlila Maidan, according to UP Tak. Permission was later granted for the demonstration at Jantar Mantar.
Harsh Dubey says protesters will stay until memorandum is submitted
Harsh Dubey said in another video that protesters intended to remain at Jantar Mantar until they could submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We will sit here and will leave only after submitting our memorandum to Narendra Modi," he said.
According to Dubey, the central demand was for reforms that would ensure reservation benefits reached people who genuinely needed them.
Prateek Pandey, associated with the Reservation Hatao Mission, also posted on X arguing that reservation should be based on economic criteria rather than caste. He claimed that people from different parts of the country had travelled to Delhi for the protest despite allegedly being stopped or diverted at various points.
He argued that economically better-off families should not continue receiving the same benefits while economically disadvantaged people remained in need of government support. Some protesters alleged that they were initially directed towards Ramlila Maidan before returning to Jantar Mantar. One protester from Rajasthan’s Alwar claimed that a group of around 40 people had gone to Ramlila Maidan after being directed there, before returning to Jantar Mantar.
Mohandas Pai questions handling of protest
The dispute over permission also triggered political and public commentary. Author and commentator Anand Ranganathan compared the Delhi Police’s handling of the reservation reform protest with the earlier Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) agitation. He alleged on X that "Modi-hating anarchists" had received permission to demonstrate at Jantar Mantar after pleading for three hours, while "Modi-loving nationalists" had sought permission for 30 days but were denied it.
Reacting to Ranganathan’s post, Mohandas Pai, chairperson of venture capital firm Aarin Capital and former CFO of Infosys, wrote on X: “This discrimination is very very wrong Amit Shah [home minister]. Why discriminate against law-abiding citizens and boost anarchists?” The protesters, meanwhile, emphasised that their demonstration would remain peaceful. One protester told UP Tak that those present were "nationalist protesters" who had come to raise their demands rather than engage in violence.
Reservation reform campaign gains momentum
Friday’s demonstration followed weeks of online mobilisation led by Harsh Dubey. The campaign opposing the existing reservation system and the now-stayed UGC equity regulations gained momentum following the CJP-led agitation, with influencers including Ajeet Bharti, Anand Ranganathan and Anuradha Tiwari amplifying the debate.
The campaign has also moved beyond social media, with demonstrations reported in Nagpur in Maharashtra, Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, Jaipur in Rajasthan and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. In Rajasthan, the Shri Rajput Karni Sena conducted a 24-day, 800-km march to Jaipur against the UGC Equity Regulations. The march ended in clashes with police after protesters allegedly breached barricades.
At Jantar Mantar, demonstrators urged the government to consider their demands and warned that the agitation could be expanded if they did not receive a favourable response. Security remained tight at the protest site throughout the demonstration, with Delhi Police and other security forces maintaining a close watch on the situation.
