NEW DELHI: Security was heightened outside Shah Auditorium in Delhi on Sunday after social media posts and videos claimed that permission had been granted for a protest against the UGC Equity Regulations (2026) and the reservation system.Delhi Police, however, said no such permission had been granted and warned people against acting on misleading posts.The Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, said in a post on X, “Citizens are advised not to gather on the basis of such misleading posts/videos and not to amplify, forward or share any unverified content.”The DCP said several videos and posts were being circulated calling upon people to assemble at Jantar Mantar over reservation reforms.“Various videos/posts are being circulated calling upon people to gather/assemble on the issue of reservation reforms for the protest at Jantar Mantar on 23 August. No permission has been granted to any individual or organisation for holding any such protest/gathering at Jantar Mantar on 23 August 2026. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS (erstwhile Section 144 CrPC) are already in force in New Delhi District,” the DCP said.Police further said that protest marches, processions, demonstrations and assemblies of five or more people were prohibited in the district.“Accordingly, protest marches, processions, demonstrations and assemblies of five or more persons are strictly prohibited. Appropriate legal action may be initiated against persons found creating, circulating or disseminating fake or misleading information,” the senior police officer said.The latest warning comes after a large number of people gathered at Jantar Mantar on Friday under the banner of Reservation Hatao Andolan (RHA) to protest against caste-based reservation and demand a complete overhaul of the existing system, ANI reported.The protesters demanded that quotas in academics and employment be determined strictly on the basis of income rather than social or caste identities.They also advocated a “one family, one reservation” policy and called for the immediate withdrawal of the UGC’s 2026 caste-equity directives.Following Friday’s gathering, Delhi Police and Central forces were deployed at the protest site to maintain law and order.Security personnel were seen at Jantar Mantar as protesters assembled in the designated protest area, with the deployment being carried out as a precautionary measure amid the large gathering.The protesters raised demands against the existing caste-based reservation system and called for a review of the policy.Reservation Hatao Andolan (RHA) is an official Instagram page with 5.6 million followers. The platform has gained traction by adopting protest-mobilisation tactics associated with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and has now called for a physical protest against the reservation system.(With agnecy inputs)
