A large number of protesters gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Friday as the Reservation Hatao Andolan continued despite Delhi Police granting permission for the demonstration at Ramlila Maidan instead.
The crowd at Jantar Mantar continued to grow, with more protesters reportedly on their way to the site. At least one participant said the agitation would continue at Jantar Mantar despite the police permission for Ramlila Maidan.
A Delhi Police notice issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central District, stated that there was “no objection” from a law-and-order perspective to holding a peaceful protest at Ramlila Ground on August 21.
The permission allowed a maximum of 500 people to participate at Ramlila Ground until 4 pm. It also prohibited any procession or overnight stay and required organisers to comply with police instructions and guidelines. The permission could be revoked in case of non-compliance.
The notice was addressed to Harsh Dubey and Abhishek Agnihotri of the Reservation Reform Movement.
The decision, however, failed to resolve the venue dispute as the mobilisation had already been centred on Jantar Mantar, where protesters assembled in significant numbers on Friday.
Supporters of the Reservation Hatao Andolan criticised the police decision to shift the venue to Ramlila Maidan. RHA supporter Ajeet Bharti said in a post on X that organisers had sought permission for Jantar Mantar a month earlier, but were informed around noon on the day of the protest that permission had instead been granted for Ramlila Maidan, with a 500-person limit and a 4 pm deadline.
Bharti questioned why a gathering of 500 people could not be accommodated at Jantar Mantar and directed his criticism at Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Delhi Police.
The venue dispute followed a Delhi Police statement on Thursday that no permission had been granted for any protest, procession, demonstration or assembly at Jantar Mantar.
Despite the statement, protesters began gathering at the site on Friday, with their numbers increasing through the day.
The central demand of the Reservation Hatao Andolan is the abolition or major reform of caste-based reservation in government jobs and educational institutions. The movement argues that public employment and admissions should be based on merit and talent rather than caste quotas.
The group has also proposed a “One Nation, One Identity” framework under which caste details would not be required on government forms, job applications and educational processes.
Instead of caste-based affirmative action, the protesters have called for government assistance based on factors such as economic status, disability, orphan status or whether a person is the child of a martyr, irrespective of caste or religion.
The protesters have also opposed the UGC’s 2026 equity regulations, arguing that certain provisions could adversely affect general-category students and calling for stronger safeguards against their alleged misuse.
The Reservation Hatao Andolan has largely used social media to mobilise supporters around reservation and education-policy issues.
Friday’s gathering has therefore developed into both a protest against caste-based reservation and a dispute over the right to demonstrate at Jantar Mantar, with police permitting the event at Ramlila Maidan while protesters continued to assemble at their originally announced venue.
