Delhi Police on Thursday said no permission had been granted for a protest on reservation reforms at Jantar Mantar on August 21, dismissing social media posts claiming otherwise as "false and misleading".
In a statement, the police said, "Various videos are circulating regarding the alleged grant of permission for a protest, on the issue of reservation reforms, at Jantar Mantar on 21 August, which is false and misleading."
"It is further clarified that no permission has been granted to anyone to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar on August 21," the police said.
The police also said prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS, the erstwhile Section 144 of the CrPC, are already in force in the New Delhi district. Protest marches, processions, demonstrations and assemblies of five or more people are prohibited.
It advised people against amplifying, forwarding or circulating unverified information about the alleged permission and warned that legal action may be taken against those found creating or disseminating fake news.
The clarification came after the Instagram-based "Reservation Hatao Andolan" page, which has 5.6 million followers, shared a poster announcing a "peaceful protest" at Jantar Mantar at 2 pm on August 21.
The platform, which has gained traction by adopting protest-mobilisation tactics associated with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has called for a physical demonstration against the reservation system.
(With inputs from ANI)