Delhi Police reject claims of food delivery ban at Jantar Mantar protest site

The Cockroach Janta Party, spearheading a student protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, has accused the Delhi Police of blocking food supplies and detaining demonstrators heading to the site.

Party spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka posted on X that police set up checkpoints roughly 5 kilometres from the area to prevent people from joining the demonstration and delivering food.

The allegations coincided with viral social media claims alleging that Delhi Police imposed a total ban on food delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato across the New Delhi area. However, the Delhi Police issued an official statement dismissing these claims as false, baseless, and misleading, clarifying that no such ban exists and urging the public to ignore rumours.

The controversy arose following reports that police traced local eateries and cafes supplying food to the protesters by checking discarded wrappers at Jantar Mantar. Restaurant owners claimed officers asked for order logs, questioned them at police stations, and advised against sending free food or accepting large unverified online orders due to potential anti-social elements among the demonstrators.

Public confusion was further heightened by a Delhi Traffic Police advisory issued due to prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.

The advisory urged residents to avoid non-essential travel in the notified area and requested food delivery apps, logistics firms, and e-commerce operators to regulate their operations to maintain public safety. Many social media users interpreted this as an absolute ban, leading to the official police clarification.