Delhi liquor shops open or closed tomorrow? Check government order amid CJP's Jantar Mantar protest call against CEC

Delhi will close all retail liquor outlets on October 10, Saturday, as a precaution to maintain public order amid political demonstrations and a planned youth-led protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over alleged voter-roll discrepancies.

Delhi's retail liquor shops will remain closed on Saturday, October 10, following a government order issued as a preventive measure amid heightened political activity and a planned protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

The order mandates the shutdown of all retail liquor outlets in Delhi on October 9 and 10. An official circular said the measure was prompted by the prevailing situation and information shared by Delhi Police.

"In view of the prevailing situation and inputs received from Delhi Police, as a preventive measure aimed at maintaining public order, it is hereby ordered that all retail liquor vends with licenses in Form L6, L6 & L6FG, L8, L10 and L8 & L14 operating in Delhi will be completely closed on 09.10.2026 and 10.10.2026," the circular stated, according to ANI.

Quick answers to key questions

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QUESTIONS

No. Delhi’s retail liquor shops are ordered to remain closed on Saturday, October 10, 2026.

The government issued the closure order as a preventive measure to maintain public order, citing the prevailing situation and inputs from Delhi Police amid planned protests.

The order covers retail liquor vends in Delhi operating under the licence categories listed in the circular: L6, L6FG, L8, L10 and L14, including the combinations specified.

The order requires covered retail liquor outlets to remain closed on both October 9 and October 10, 2026.

The closure also comes against the backdrop of INDIA bloc demonstrations over alleged discrepancies in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with Opposition leaders also demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

On Thursday, as the protest campaign entered its third consecutive day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other INDIA bloc leaders gathered at Raj Ghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi.

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal called the agitation "one of the most powerful" protests and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of "finishing" democracy through Gyanesh Kumar.

Earlier, INDIA bloc leaders tried to march to the Election Commission's headquarters on Tuesday before holding a demonstration near Jantar Mantar the following day. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other Opposition leaders were detained during Wednesday's protest.

Delhi Police have filed three FIRs relating to the demonstration, citing alleged offences that include assault on police personnel, obstruction of government work, pushing, manhandling and misbehaviour with police officers. The FIR details released so far also mention Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

CJP to hold Delhi protest on October 10

The CJP has scheduled a youth-led demonstration at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, raising allegations of "vote theft", the purported exclusion of young voters from electoral rolls and other issues concerning the Election Commission.

CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the party had notified Delhi Police about the planned gathering and completed the necessary formalities. According to him, young participants from different parts of the country are expected to attend.

Delhi Police denies CJP permission for Jantar Mantar protest

However, the Delhi Police have refused permission for the CJP's proposed protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10. Following the decision, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan has instructed police chiefs across all states and Union Territories to ensure law and order and tighten security arrangements.

In an official communication, Mohan asked states and Union Territories to coordinate with Delhi Police and take preventive steps ahead of the proposed mobilisation. The letter flagged concerns that CJP members and supporters might attempt to enter the national capital despite the denial of permission.

(With inputs from agency)

About the Author

Garvit Bhirani is a journalist based in Gurugram. He is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint, where he covers national and international news stories, focusing on accuracy and compelling storytelling for readers. <br><br> With a total of six years of experience in journalism, he has previously worked with Vaco Binary Semantics for Google, taking on the role of news curation lead, and reported from the field on health, education, and agriculture stories for 101reporters and News9. He has also served as a content editor for entertainment and news media organisations. <br><br> Garvit holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Gurugram University, respectively. During college days, he joined India’s only non-profit student journalism network, where he anchored daily news updates and produced his own weekly show called ‘Data Fix’. <br><br> He was selected for the YES Foundation Media for Social Change Fellowship in Delhi, the Talking Data to the Fourth Pillar residential workshop, and the VOICE Fellowship in Pune. <br><br> He holds certificates in COVID-19-verification reporting, data journalism, food & agriculture, tech policy, media literacy and countering misinformation, and tackling election disinformation courses from Thomson Foundation, IndiaSpend, The Dialogue, US Mission in India, and AFP. <br><br> He can be reached on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garvit-bhirani">LinkedIn</a> or on <a href="https://x.com/GarvitBhirani">@garvitbhirani</a> on X