Several members of the unreserved category gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Friday to protest against caste-based reservation and demand reforms in existing reservation policies.
The demonstration, organised under the Reservation Reform Andolan led by NEET aspirant Harsh Dubey, called for government support to be determined by economic need rather than caste. Protesters sought measures such as scholarships, fee assistance and coaching support for economically disadvantaged students.
Some participants also demanded the repeal of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, alleging that its provisions could be misused and calling for safeguards against misuse. Others supported introducing a creamy-layer criterion and reviewing reservation policies for SC, ST and OBC communities.
The protest saw participation from groups including General Sena, Chanakya Sena and Karni Sena, along with influencer Ajeet Bharti.
Delhi Police later detained several protesters, stating that no permission had been granted for the demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Police said an NOC had instead been issued for a peaceful protest at Ramlila Ground, limited to 500 people until 4 pm.