Anti-CEC protest: Dilli Haat becomes Jantar Mantar for a day

Even as the protesters split into smaller groups and marched near INA Metro station, around the end of the Safdarjung flyover, near INA market, and through adjoining residential colonies, the police chased and detained many of them. Unable to reach Jantar Mantar because of barricades, hundreds of protesters, mostly unaffiliated with any organisation, began gathering at Dilli Haat through the AIIMS Metro station on Saturday (October 10, 2026) afternoon. The shift followed a social media post by All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora declaring that “Dilli Haat is Jantar Mantar for today”. Even as the protesters split into smaller groups and marched near INA Metro station, around the end of the Safdarjung flyover, near INA market, and through adjoining residential colonies, the police chased and detained many of them. By evening, hundreds had gathered near Dilli Haat Metro station, where police personnel were seen grabbing, and putting them into buses. Many protesters wore masks, fearing that revealing their identities could have security and family repercussions. Protesters from across the city spent hours on Saturday morning trying to reach Jantar Mantar but failed. At 1.10 p.m., Ms. Bora announced that the protest had moved to Dilli Haat. Soon after, the police barricaded the Safdarjung flyover as students marched towards the area. During the first two rounds of detentions near the end of the flyover, police personnel were seen wielding lathis. Ms. Bora and other leaders were subsequently detained, and one protester was seen bleeding profusely from the head. As the number of students swelled steadily through the day, two recent graduates of Ashoka University said it had taken them around four hours to reach Dilli Haat. One of them, who did not wish to be named, said, “We were unsure whether we would be able to reach Delhi at all today. Following Ms. Neha’s call, we decided to come here because Jantar Mantar seemed impossible.” They said it was a relief that the AIIMS Metro station had not been shut, and that internet services were working. “Brutally detained”Groups of students were seen walking along roads, assembling at various points and discussing how their friends were being “brutally detained” and plans to mobilise more protesters. Every few minutes, dozens of police personnel were seen running after the groups to disperse and detain them. Many protesters, including women, were dragged away, while those inside buses shouted, “You cannot do this to women protesters”.Pratya, a Delhi University student, said he was beaten on the leg with a wooden stick. Two of his friends said their mothers had been video-calling them to ensure that they were not at the protest site. “It took hours for us to reach here. My family does not know I am here, and I don’t want them to because my father is a BJP supporter,” one of them said. Around 4 p.m., those shopping inside Dilli Haat were asked to vacate the premises, and the gates were shut. Women hawkers selling jewellery outside the complex, who were also asked to leave, were angry at the police over their “behaviour with the protesters”. Soon, they too were seen filming police personnel detaining students. Students were also seen questioning some police personnel about their missing nameplates. The personnel said the nameplates had broken while they were detaining protesters. Larger groups of protesters were seen marching through the inner lanes and along both sides of the flyover. A protester said, “The people are there; mobilising is difficult, and we are all trying to ensure we walk in smaller numbers without getting detained.”However, even protesters walking alone towards the INA Metro station gate were being detained. By 4.30 p.m., hundreds had gathered on the road, only to get detained minutes later. Published - October 10, 2026 10:31 pm IST