Right to Protest Current Affairs for UPSC

A planned protest march to Parliament in New Delhi was stopped by police at multiple barricades, with reports of lathi charge and tear gas, after prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were imposed across the New Delhi district. The action has renewed focus on the constitutional right to protest under Article 19(1)(a) and Article 19(1)(b), the scope of "reasonable restrictions", and the difference between lawful regulation and an outright ban. This article explains the constitutional basis of the right to protest, how Section 163 works, key Supreme Court judgments, and India's position on peaceful assembly.