AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday, 23 July 2026, raised alarm over what he described as heavy security deployment and ambulance mobilisation near Jantar Mantar in central New Delhi, questioning whether the Modi government was preparing to use force against protesters gathering at the historic demonstration site.

In his post, Kejriwal wrote that shops in Connaught Place had been ordered to shut by 6:30 pm, and that a large number of ambulances had been positioned in the area alongside heavy security presence. He asked pointedly — 'Kya Modi sarkar aaj phir Jantar Mantar par apne bachchon par barbar hamla karegi?' ('Will the Modi government again carry out a barbaric attack on its own children at Jantar Mantar today?') — framing the security arrangements as a potential precursor to a crackdown on demonstrators.

Context

Jantar Mantar, a 18th-century astronomical monument in the heart of New Delhi, has long served as a primary venue for organised protests and public demonstrations. Its proximity to Parliament Street and Connaught Place — one of the capital's busiest commercial hubs — means that large-scale security deployments there routinely affect businesses and foot traffic in surrounding blocks.

Kejriwal's post came in the afternoon, hours before the reported shop-closure deadline, suggesting the security build-up was already visible and drawing public attention. The Aam Aadmi Party and its leadership have consistently framed central government policing decisions around protest sites as deliberate attempts to suppress democratic dissent.

Policy Backdrop

The tension over protest rights at Jantar Mantar is not new. During the 2020–21 farmers' protests, authorities imposed movement restrictions and deployed heavy security around Delhi demonstration sites. Earlier, in 2019–2020, demonstrations linked to the Citizenship Amendment Act at Jantar Mantar saw police barricades, baton charges, and temporary commercial shutdowns in the surrounding markets.

A persistent fault line in Delhi's governance is that the city's police force reports to the Ministry of Home Affairs under the central government, not to the elected Delhi government. This structural arrangement has been a recurring source of conflict between AAP administrations and the BJP-led central government, particularly when protest permissions and crowd-control decisions are contested.

Stakeholders and Impact

The most immediately affected parties are the Connaught Place shopkeepers and businesses ordered to close early, as well as any groups planning to assemble at Jantar Mantar on the evening of 23 July. Early shop closures translate directly into lost trade for vendors and retailers in one of Delhi's highest-footfall commercial zones.

For Delhi residents and commuters, heavy security deployments in the area typically mean road diversions and restricted movement across a wide radius. Civil society organisations that use Jantar Mantar as a symbolic space for legitimate protest are also directly affected by any pre-emptive restrictions on assembly.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to whether Delhi Police issues any formal orders clarifying the legal basis for the shop-closure directive and the nature of the security arrangements. A response from the Ministry of Home Affairs explaining the deployment would also be significant. Any use of force against demonstrators — or a peaceful dispersal — will shape the political narrative that follows.

Kejriwal's framing of the security build-up as a potential 'barbaric attack' sets the stage for a sharp political confrontation. If the evening passes without incident, the BJP is likely to push back against what it may call alarmist rhetoric; if there is any use of force, AAP will use the post as documented forewarning. Either way, the episode underscores the enduring contest over who controls the right to protest in the capital.