Ramlila Maidan Protest: Supreme Court Seeks Centre’s Reply on Traders’ Plea

The Supreme Court on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, sought responses from the Centre and others on pleas by Delhi traders seeking a halt to the continuing protest at Ramlila Maidan against the Chief Election Commissioner. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana was hearing a batch of petitions, according to a Business Standard report. Kirana Committee Delhi, a traders’ body, is one of the petitioners. The batch also covers alleged mass detentions, police action, Metro station closures and an internet shutdown.

Organisers Must Be Made Parties

The bench told the traders’ bodies to make the protest organisers parties to the plea, saying no court can decide the issues otherwise. The Chief Justice said the ground cannot be occupied “at all times to come” and that a designated period must be fixed for a designated time.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, for the traders, said about 50 lakh people live near the protest site and that all shops there remain closed. The traders say the demonstration is costing them business during the festive season.

Also read Ramlila Maidan Rally: What Kharge, Tejashwi, Akhilesh and Left Leaders Said

Second Plea Over the Same Rally

The Ramlila Maidan sit-in follows the INDIA bloc’s 1 November rally. We covered the arrangements in our rally explainer and the aftermath in the report on the parties’ next steps. On 15 October the same bench had sought the Election Commission’s response to a separate plea by Rahul Gandhi and 12 opposition leaders over alleged voter deletions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision.

No Next Date Reported Yet

The report does not give a date for the next hearing. Until the organisers are added as parties and the Centre files its reply, the court has not ruled on whether the protest must end or be moved.

Source: Based on reporting by Business Standard.

Image: Supreme Court of India / Wikimedia Commons.