LPG distributors protest outside Delhi’s CBD Ground after police deny entry over booking dispute

Around 500 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) distributors who gathered in Delhi on Monday to protest against the Centre’s policies promoting piped natural gas (PNG) were stopped from entering the Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) CBD Ground in Shahdara, forcing them to stage their demonstration on the road outside amid heavy police deployment.

The protest, organised by the LPG Distributors Association of India (LDAI), followed a dispute over the booking of the ground and the permissions required to hold a demonstration there. The association said it had paid ₹95,000 to reserve the venue for October 26 after its original plan to protest at Jantar Mantar fell through. However, Delhi Police said permission had not been granted because the ground had been booked under a category that did not cover protests.

The episode has exposed a gap between the booking options available on the DDA’s online portal and the permissions required from law enforcement agencies. Even on Monday, the portal did not provide a specific category for protests, leaving the association and authorities blaming each other over the arrangements.

Booking dispute after Jantar Mantar restrictions

LDAI representatives first approached Delhi Police on September 9, seeking permission to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 26 against the Centre’s push for PNG connections. Association president BS Sharma said the police initially granted permission but subsequently withdrew it after Jantar Mantar was denotified as a designated protest site on October 11.

The police identified Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground in north Delhi and CBD Ground in east Delhi as alternative venues. However, Ramlila Maidan had already been booked when the association began looking for another location.

With less than 10 days remaining before the planned demonstration and distributors expected from across the country, the association booked CBD Ground through the DDA’s online portal on October 17.

According to Sharma, the portal offered broad booking categories, including social and socio-cultural functions, but no option specifically for protests. The socio-cultural category listed events such as Diwali melas and children’s fetes, while other categories covered activities including weddings, birthdays, religious functions, government events, health camps, circuses and exhibitions.

The association booked the ground under the socio-cultural category and paid ₹95,000 for the day. However, Delhi Police informed the organisers on Sunday that the protest could not be held there.

“We had been planning the protest for over a month. On September 9, we had written to Delhi Police for permission for protest at Jantar Mantar for Monday. They granted us permission but after the CJP protests in October first two weeks, they cancelled our protest,” Sharma said.

He added that the association had arranged banners and food and invited distributors from Kashmir, Gujarat, Puducherry and other parts of the country. Despite having paid for the venue, the organisers were prevented from entering the ground on Monday and gathered on the adjoining road instead.

Sharma also alleged that police attempted to close the entry to Karkardooma Court Metro station.

The Hindustan Times accessed the payment receipt and an email from the DDA confirming the booking. Both documents described the purpose as a socio-cultural function and identified LDAI as a registered welfare society.

DDA and Delhi Police defend refusal

A DDA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the association had booked CBD Ground for a social gathering but intended to use it for a protest without obtaining the necessary permission from law enforcement agencies.

The authority did not respond to questions about why its online booking portal lacked a dedicated category for protests.

Shahdara Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajendra Prasad Meena said permission had been refused because the organisers had applied under what he described as a false category.

“The DDA letter says it was a school programme. Later, we found they posted on social media about a protest but never even informed Delhi Police for the protest. So, we didn’t give them permission. They were stopped outside the ground by forces but nobody was detained,” Meena said.

He added that the police learnt later that the association had paid for the venue and would speak to the DDA about a refund.

Police had also cited the festive season, other scheduled programmes and potential law-and-order concerns while refusing permission for the agitation. A senior police officer said an indefinite strike could create difficulties during a period of heightened activity in the city.

The incident marked the first major demonstration at CBD Ground after it was identified as an alternative protest venue following Jantar Mantar’s denotification.

Distributors demand ₹75 commission hike, oppose compulsory PNG connections

The association’s protest was aimed at the Centre’s push for PNG connections, which LPG distributors say threatens their businesses. They are also seeking a revision of commissions and administrative charges that they claim have remained largely unchanged for years.

“We want an immediate increase of ₹75 in the LPG distributor commission and the withdrawal of the mandate for compulsory PNG connections,” said Param Seth, a Delhi-based distributor.

“We all have been suffering because of the government’s shift towards PNG and no hike in the commissions and administrative charges related to delivery of LPG cylinders,” he added.

Rajveer Singh, a distributor from Kanpur, said the association also wanted fair compensation for its services and an end to the forced sale of non-fuel retail/allied retail business (NFR/ARB).

“Because of NFR-ARB, we had to supply full truck load cylinders,” he said.

The association has warned that distributors across the country will launch an indefinite strike if their commission is not increased by November 25. Its demands also concern the wider costs of operating LPG distribution businesses and the policies governing their commercial activities.

However, the proposed agitation and strike call have not received the backing of all major industry bodies. The Federation of LPG Distributors of India and the All India LPG Distributors Federation have distanced themselves from the protest and strike call, favouring dialogue with oil marketing companies and the Petroleum Ministry to resolve commission-related and operational concerns. The Federation of LPG Distributors of India has also urged distributors to continue normal supply and delivery operations.

Jantar Mantar denotification forces shift to alternative venues

The dispute comes after Delhi Police denotified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site on October 11, amid a series of major agitations against the Union government this year.

Police identified Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as alternative locations for demonstrations. Ramlila Maidan, spread across 12 acres, regularly hosts large gatherings. Burari Ground is around 18 km from Jantar Mantar, while CBD Ground is approximately 12.4 km away.

The LPG distributors’ experience has highlighted the administrative complications facing organisers attempting to move demonstrations to alternative sites. While the DDA manages bookings for its grounds, organisers must also secure the necessary permissions from agencies responsible for law and order.

For LDAI, the immediate dispute concerns the refusal to allow its planned demonstration despite the payment made for CBD Ground. For the authorities, the central issue is that the venue was booked for a social or socio-cultural gathering rather than a protest, for which the required permission had not been granted.