Dozens detained as 300 join anti-quota protest at Delhi’s Connaught Place
Delhi police detained more than 20 people on Sunday after around 300 protesters gathered at Connaught Place’s outer circle to oppose caste-based reservation and demand changes to India’s quota system. Officers cleared the crowd after saying the demonstration had no permission.
The protest turned the busy central Delhi roundabout into a flashpoint in a long-running national argument over who should benefit from state support. The crowd carried placards and shouted slogans calling for economic criteria to carry more weight when deciding eligibility for reservation and government assistance. Their message was blunt. Poor people, they said, should not be left out because of caste.
Police move in after lack of permission
Police said the gathering was removed from the site because organisers had not obtained permission for the protest. A police presence remained at Connaught Place as officers dispersed the demonstrators. No serious clash was reported, but the detentions underscored how tightly authorities have been controlling anti-reservation mobilisation in Delhi in recent days.
The protest was linked to the “Reservation Hatao Andolan”, a social media-driven campaign that has drawn supporters online and on the ground. On Friday, Delhi Police detained several protesters at Jantar Mantar after denying permission for a demonstration there and instead issuing approval for a peaceful gathering at Ramlila Ground. The latest turnout showed the campaign has not faded. Not yet.
Economic criteria at the centre
Among the main demands was a “creamy layer” criterion and a review of the existing reservation framework. Protesters also called for changes to policies covering Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. The emphasis stayed fixed on economics, not identity. That split matters.
Supporters of the movement argue that government help should reach people facing financial hardship regardless of caste. They also raised concerns about the broader reservation structure, including issues tied to the UGC framework and the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, according to reports from the earlier Jantar Mantar protest. The dispute is familiar in India, where reservation has long been framed as a tool to address historic discrimination, while critics say economic disadvantage should count more heavily.
Sunday’s gathering at Connaught Place, one of Delhi’s busiest public spaces, brought that argument back into view. A senior police officer said the protest was cleared once authorities confirmed there was no permission for it. The protesters, meanwhile, kept pressing the same line: “We are not against reservation. We want reforms in reservation.”
