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.