We20 organisers allege attempts to shut event in Delhi

The Delhi Police on Saturday said that they asked the organisers of the We20 event, which was being held at Harkishan Singh Surjeet Bhawan at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg in central Delhi, to not proceed with it as the organisers did not inform or take permission for gathering at a “sensitive zone”.

However, the organisers said that they continued with the sessions despite an attempt to “halt the programme”. The three-day event, of which Saturday was the second day, had over 400 participants, according to the organisers — Working Group on International Finance Institutions (WGIFIs). The event looks at the upcoming G20 Summit “critically”, they said.

Sanjay Kumar Sain, the deputy commissioner of police (central), said they received information on Saturday about the event.

“The organisers could not produce any valid permission. Since DDU Marg is a sensitive zone and in view of the forthcoming G20 Summit, no gathering without any prior permission/intimation can be allowed,” said Sain.

One of the organisers, Leo Saldanha, said that after the police arrived, participants and speakers were not allowed to enter the building, but they were continuing with the seminar with the people who were already inside. “The seminar is aimed at taking a critical look at the G20,” he said.

WGIFIs demanded that the police withdraw the barricades unconditionally and allow the event to continue without any hurdles.

The organisers, in a statement, said that the Delhi Police barricaded the gates to Surjeet Bhawan and did not let anyone in around 11am.

“Even as multiple sessions were underway... to discuss and debate implications of the central government... Delhi Police swept into the venue demanding the seminar be shut down. All scheduled sessions continued smoothly,” it said.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also said that the Delhi Police stopped the participants from attending the event inside a building that belongs to the CPI(M).

“The meeting was perfectly peaceful with no street protests. I managed to enter the venue at HKS Surjeet Bhavan at 10.30 am before Delhi Police started its operation but finding it difficult to exit now. This is New India Democracy,” Ramesh posted in Hindi on X (formerly Twitter).