The Delhi High Court agreed on Thursday to hear a petition seeking to restrain the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) from holding a planned protest at Central Park in Connaught Place on October 16. The petitioner, Anil Kumar Gupta, a street vendor from Palika Bazar, argued that the demonstration would disrupt daily life and cause financial losses to local businesses.

Senior advocate Sachin Puri, appearing before Acting Chief Justice Nitin W. Samber, requested urgent interim relief to prevent the proposed gathering in the heart of the national capital. Puri emphasized that the protest, scheduled during the Dussehra weekend, could lead to significant traffic congestion and hamper commercial activities across Connaught Place, potentially shutting down the area and limiting the movement of people.

The petitioner sought directions to prohibit the CJP from organizing any agitation, demonstration, march, or gathering at Central Park or elsewhere unless the location had been officially designated as a protest venue.

The High Court noted that the Supreme Court was already hearing related cases and asked the senior counsel to appear later in the afternoon with details of the ongoing proceedings and copies of the apex court’s recent orders. The court’s intervention comes amid concerns from traders and residents about the impact of protests on business and public order in a busy commercial district of the capital.