Several detained after 300 people gathered at Delhi's Connaught Place to protest reservation

Over 20 people, who had gathered for the stir at Connaught Place, were detained and removed because no permission had been granted for the agitation.

Updated on: Aug 23, 2026, 22:01:00 IST

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Multiple people were detained after around 300 protesters gathered at Connaught Place's outer circle in Delhi on Sunday to protest against caste-based reservation, officials said. The protesters were also demanding reforms in the quota system, officials said.

Over 20 people, who had gathered for the stir at Connaught Place, were detained and removed from the site because no permission had been granted for the agitation, police reportedly said.

The protesters, who were carrying placards, raised slogans and called for greater emphasis on economic criteria when deciding eligibility for reservation. They further said that the assistance should reach economically disadvantaged people irrespective of caste, according to news agency PTI.

Earlier today, the Delhi Police said no permission was granted to any individual or organisation to hold a protest or gathering at Jantar Mantar over reservation reforms.

The gathering was cleared from the protest site, while the police maintained a presence at the Connaught Place. The agitation took place under the banner of “Reservation Hatao Andolan” – an Instagram-based page with around 5.6 million followers – which had called on its followers to join a protest in Delhi after building an online campaign around reservation reforms.

What are the protesters' demands?

Among the demands raised by the protesters was the introduction of a creamy-layer criterion and a review of the existing reservation framework, PTI reported.

They also called for changes in policies concerning Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. One of the protesters said the stir was “not against reservation” but for “reforms in reservation”. “The government should understand that poor people from all communities also face difficulties and their concerns should be heard,” the protester told PTI.

The protesters raised concerns regarding the University Grants Commission framework and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. They sought a broader review of policies they said were affecting opportunities in education and employment.

Prohibitory orders under Section 163 in New Delhi

The police in a statement earlier today said prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which replaced Section 144 of the CrPC, were in force in New Delhi district.

They said that in accordance to this, protest marches, processions, demonstrations and assemblies of five or more persons were prohibited in the area.

The police then advised citizens not to gather on the basis of such posts or videos and not to forward, share or amplify unverified content

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