Delhi High Court refuses to grant urgent hearing to Youth Congress's plea for protest at Jantar Mantar

Security beefs up as barricades installed at Jantar Mantar ahead of the protest. File | Photo Credit: PTI The Delhi High Court on Friday (October 9, 2026) declined to urgently list a petition filed by the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) challenging the Delhi Police’s decision to deny permission for a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar, saying the matter could be heard on Monday.Also Read | Opposition leaders say will continue protest against CEC, ‘vote chori’The plea, filed by IYC national president Uday Bhanu Chib, was mentioned before a Bench of headed by Acting Chief Justice Nitin Sambre by senior advocate Sanjoy Ghose.Mr Ghose told the court that he had mentioned the matter on Thursday as well, when the court had permitted him to mention it again on Friday if the petition was not listed.“What is the urgency? We will hear it on Monday (October 12),” Justice Sambre said.The petition challenges an October 1 communication through which the Delhi Police rejected the IYC’s request to hold a peaceful demonstration at Jantar Mantar. On Thursday, the court had agreed to hear the plea and asked the petitioner to mention the matter again if it was not listed on Friday.The IYC had approached the court after its application, submitted on September 25, seeking permission to hold a demonstration involving around 100-150 people between October 1 and October 25 was rejected. The organisation is demanding Mr Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.In its petition, the IYC maintained that it had undertaken to comply with all lawful conditions relating to security, traffic management, discipline and public order.The plea raises questions about the extent to which the police can regulate the exercise of fundamental rights while considering applications for peaceful demonstrations at Jantar Mantar.“The proposed demonstration arises out of concerns regarding transparency, accountability and functioning of constitutional institutions, and was proposed as a peaceful exercise of the petitioner’s right to freedom of speech and expression and the right to assemble peacefully and without arms,” the petition stated.“A power to regulate a fundamental right cannot be converted into an unfettered power to prohibit its exercise,” the petition said, adding that restrictions must be reasonable, proportionate and based on an individual assessment rather than a mechanical refusal.The IYC has sought the quashing of the police communication dated October 1 and a direction to the authorities to reconsider its request in accordance with the law. Published - October 09, 2026 12:00 pm IST