The Supreme Court on October 9, 2026, said peaceful protest is a fundamental right. It directed authorities to keep metro services running ahead of the CJP protests on October 10. Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry asked states to stop supporters from reaching Delhi to prevent any law and order issues.
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The Supreme Court on Friday (October 9, 2026) said the right to association and to protest peacefully is a fundamental right of every citizen, while reacting to a mention by senior lawyers of the apex court about the unprecedented “shutting down” of the national capital a day ahead of the CJP protests for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on October 10. Supreme Court directed that there shall be “no complete prohibition” on the movement of metro trains, asking authorities to allow metro and other railway services to operate in a suitably regulated manner ahead of the protests.
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The Union Home Ministry has directed all States and Union Territories to coordinate with Delhi Police and take preventive measures to stop CJP supporters from mobilising towards the national capital. Citing potential law and order concerns, the MHA flagged intelligence inputs suggesting protesters could attempt to enter Delhi despite the police rejecting the group’s request to hold a gathering, and called for real-time intelligence sharing and strict implementation of preventive measures.