Delhi Shutdown: 4 Pleas in Supreme Court Ahead of Special Hearing Over Crackdown

At least four petitions have been filed before the Supreme Court ahead of a special hearing regarding the Delhi shutdown, police crackdown, and mass detentions during protests. Pleas challenge preventive detentions, alleged police excesses, and closures of metro, trains, and roads, citing violations of court directives. In response, the government maintained the curbs were enforced strictly to preserve law and order, protect sensitive areas including Parliament, and shield constitutional bodies like the Election Commission from disruptions. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju dismissed opposition claims comparing the situation to the Emergency, stating India is a free democracy where democratic actions cannot infringe on public rights, while authorities asserted police acted with professional restraint.