Did Delhi authorities dump garbage to disrupt Jantar Mantar protests? PIB fact checks viral claim

Delhi authorities have been accused of deliberately dumping garbage to disrupt protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar. However, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has fact-checked and debunked these claims. The viral video showing garbage on the road was actually filmed in Panipat, Haryana, where sanitation workers went on strike in August.

The PIB stated that the video is not from Delhi and that the claim is fake. Delhi Police confirmed that permission had not been granted for the protest and that safety, traffic, and crowd-management concerns led to detaining individuals attempting to reach Jantar Mantar. The designated protest site can only accommodate 1,000 people at a time.

Over 3,000 protesters were detained by the Delhi Police across various locations, including near Regal Cinema, Minto Bridge, and near Akashwani Bhawan. Special Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) Devesh Srivastava stated that elaborate security arrangements were made and neighboring states' police forces were involved. The police appealed to citizens not to participate in the protests, which were reportedly under control.