Street vendors operating at Delhi’s Palika Bazar have approached the Delhi High Court seeking urgent intervention to prevent the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) from holding a proposed demonstration at Central Park in Connaught Place on October 16, contending that another shutdown of the commercial district would severely affect their livelihood.
The plea was mentioned on Thursday before a Bench led by Acting Chief Justice Nitin W Sambre by Senior Advocate Sacchin Puri, who appeared for the petitioners and urged the Court to restrain the proposed protest.
Puri submitted that the demonstration could result in a fresh closure of Connaught Place, depriving vendors and other small businesses of their daily earnings. He told the Court that the situation was particularly concerning as the area had already witnessed disruptions during the preceding weekend.
“The shutdown has already started, and the barricading has already begun,” the counsel submitted, warning that continued restrictions would leave the vendors without work. He urged the Court to intervene before the proposed gathering could cause further disruption to commercial activity.
The Bench observed that the Supreme Court was already dealing with issues arising from the ongoing protests in the national capital. It asked the petitioners’ counsel to return at 2:30 pm with copies of the relevant Supreme Court orders so that the matter could be considered after the apex court proceedings.
The High Court did not issue any immediate direction restraining the proposed demonstration during the morning hearing.
The petition follows a call by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke asking supporters to assemble at Central Park in Connaught Place with the national flag on Friday. The proposed gathering, styled as a “Lehra Do Tiranga” demonstration, comes amid the party’s opposition to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and its protests over the detention of its members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.
Das and Ranka were remanded to five days of judicial custody on Wednesday in connection with allegations relating to their entry into Jantar Mantar and the alleged violation of peace-bond conditions. Jantar Mantar has since been denotified as a designated protest site.
The proposed demonstration has renewed concerns over the regulation of public assemblies in Delhi, particularly the choice of protest venues and the consequences of police restrictions for businesses and ordinary commuters.
For the Palika Bazar vendors, the principal concern is the prospect of losing business because of barricading, restricted access and a possible shutdown of the surrounding commercial area. They have urged the High Court to intervene before the scheduled gathering, arguing that repeated disruptions threaten the earnings of people dependent on daily trade.
The plea brings into focus the competing considerations of the right to assemble and express dissent, the maintenance of public order, and the need to prevent disproportionate disruption to livelihoods and commercial activity.
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