The Delhi High Court on Monday instructed the Delhi Police to rule within seven days on a plea by Kshatriya Karni Sena president Raj Shekhawat seeking permission to stage a demonstration against the newly notified University Grants Commission equity regulations.
Presiding over the matter, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma set a strict deadline of September 14 for authorities to dispose of the request. The court asked Shekhawat to submit a formal application seeking permission to conduct a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar on September 20 between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Strict Deadline Set for Law Enforcement
The bench turned down a request by police counsel seeking time until September 16 or 17 to review the application. Justice Sharma made it clear that the September 14 cutoff was non-negotiable, while noting that the police remain empowered to impose any appropriate lawful conditions or guidelines on the organizers.
The development follows an earlier rejection issued by the Delhi Police on August 28, which had turned down Shekhawat’s initial request to hold the gathering on September 6. Shekhawat had approached the High Court challenging that refusal as legally unsustainable and seeking an expedited review within 24 hours.
Rescheduling in View of BRICS Summit
The police initially cited security, traffic management, and law-and-order arrangements surrounding the upcoming BRICS Summit—scheduled for September 12 and 13 at Bharat Mandapam—as the rationale for disallowing the September 6 gathering.
In response to suggestions from the bench regarding the high-profile international summit, the petitioner agreed to postpone the demonstration to September 20. Organizers submitted an undertaking to the court confirming that no procession would leave Jantar Mantar and that demonstrators would not approach Bharat Mandapam or any transit routes designated for the summit.
Opposition to New Higher Education Rules
The proposed assembly is intended to demand the withdrawal of the University Grants Commission Regulations, 2026, which were framed to address caste-based discrimination across higher educational institutions. Counsel for Shekhawat stated that the outfit’s leader has been heading a nationwide campaign regarding the UGC guidelines, with the demonstration planned as a peaceful platform to raise grievances over reservation policies and the regulatory framework.
In prior proceedings linked to the dispute, Shekhawat had petitioned the High Court alleging that he was being kept under house arrest. That matter was closed after police confirmed to the bench that he was not in detention, leading the court to record that he was entirely free to move.
