Police enforce uniform rule at Jantar Mantar
Responding to public anger, Delhi Police has ordered all officers at Jantar Mantar to wear their uniforms while on duty. Plain clothes are now banned. This decision came late Tuesday after videos of Monday’s clashes spread widely online. The videos showed men in civilian clothes, some with their faces covered and carrying police lathis, hitting protesters. Other clips showed uniformed officers without name tags or clear identification.
The new rule is meant to bring back accountability at Jantar Mantar, a major protest site in Delhi. On Monday, July 20, thousands of young people, organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), gathered there for a “Sansad Chalo” march to Parliament.
They were demanding answers about problems with the NEET exam and calling for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign. Protesters moved past the first barricades on Tolstoy Marg and Sansad Marg.
Security forces, including Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force, set up several barricades to stop the crowd from reaching the high-security area near Parliament. When protesters pushed against the last barricade near Transport Bhawan, police used lathis to break up the crowd. Many people, including both protesters and police, were hurt in the clashes. An internal police report called the action “mild force” used to disperse an unauthorised gathering near a sensitive area. The police were in the videos. Multiple clips showed plain-clothes men, some wearing Delhi Police helmets or carrying standard-issue lathis, beating demonstrators.
In one widely shared video, a man in civilian clothes is seen striking people before uniformed officers appear to intervene. Social media erupted with questions. The CJP posted, “Who are these lathi-armed goons in plain clothes? Who have you hired on your force to beat us up? Why are such monsters called police in India?” Critics highlighted the absence of nameplates, rank badges, and force identification on both plain-clothes and some uniformed personnel.
Legal experts noted that under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), dispersal orders must be issued by identifiable police officers or magistrates. Unidentifiable personnel using force raises serious questions of legality and accountability.
Late on Tuesday, Delhi Police Headquarters told all units that anyone working at Jantar Mantar must wear a full police uniform. Civilian clothes are no longer allowed for officers at the site. This step is intended to address the current controversy and prevent further claims of unaccountable policing.
The fact that they were unauthorised and posed a security risk near Parliament means they have not yet issued a detailed public explanation of the identity or role of the plain-clothes individuals seen in the videos. Broader Implications: The episode has once again brought into focus the use of plain-clothes personnel during protests and crowd-control operations.
