New Delhi: After the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) agitation last month, it was the turn of Reservation Hatao Andolan (RHA) to take over the heart of the National capital.
The digital campaign had called for a physical, caste reservation protest at Jantar Mantar. However, Delhi Police gave a no-objection certificate (NOC) for a peaceful protest at Ramlila Maidan.
Permission was granted for a peaceful gathering of maximum 500 at Ramlila ground until 4 pm.
Despite the Delhi Police directive, the crowds flocked to Jantar Mantar from the afternoon. It swelled to a few thousand, and the protest remained active till late evening – much beyond the permitted time of 4 pm.
Security had already been heightened in the area. But as the protesters showed no signs of dispersing, Rapid Action Force (RAF) had to be deployed.
Videos shared on social media showed some of the protesters being detained. Some images from the protest site showed people with National flags climbing to the top of buses.
The protesters demanded reforms in the reservation system, making it abundantly clear that they opposed caste-based reservation and the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) equity regulations.
Reservation Hatao Andolan’s said in a post on its X handle that it is not funded by any political party or foreign agency, and that the crowd gathered at the Jantar Mantar protest site has also not been brought in for money. The protest, it said, is being held to bring fairness to the system and protect the future of the country.
Like CJP, the anti-reservation movement is an online phenomenon that started with an Instagram page less than a month ago, and now has 5.6 million followers.