New Delhi: After media reports surfaced suggesting that the Union government has granted the Delhi Police Commissioner special powers under the National Security Act (NSA), 1980 in a notification dated July 15, the Delhi Police clarified that “the order in question is a routine, quarterly extension of powers under the NSA”. The youth movement over the NEET paper leak and demand for Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation continues in the national capital and across the country.“Misleading information is circulating on social media claiming that the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, has been granted detention powers under the National Security Act (NSA) specifically to suppress the ongoing CJP protests,” Delhi Police wrote on X.It added, “In this regard, it is officially clarified that the order in question is a routine, quarterly extension of powers under the NSA, which is conventionally renewed every three months. The current renewal was issued on 07.07.2026 for the period effective from 19.07.2026 to 18.10.2026, predating the commencement of the CJP protests. Furthermore, no specific request was initiated for this order in relation to recent events. The renewal constitutes a standard administrative procedure and has been misinterpreted out of context.”Misleading information is circulating on social media claiming that the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, has been granted detention powers under the National Security Act (NSA) specifically to suppress the ongoing CJP protests.In this regard, it is officially clarified that the…— Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) July 23, 2026The NSA allows authorities to detain a person without pressing formal charges, for anywhere between 12 days and up to 12 months.The notification granting Delhi police commisioner powers to detain people under NSA. Photo by arrangement.According to the order, Delhi Commissioner of Police (DCP) Anurag Kumar has been given these preventive detention powers for three months, from July 19 till October 18.In a separate post on X, the Delhi Police clarified that the current renewal order was issued on July 7, well before the commencement of the protests initiated by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP).A routine quarterly renewal of powers under the National Security Act (NSA) has been falsely linked to the ongoing CJP protests.The renewal predates the protests and is part of the standard administrative process.Citizens are advised to rely only on official information and… pic.twitter.com/t50ABgZBh0— Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) July 23, 2026The notification, however, was published in the Delhi Gazette (Extraordinary) only on July 22 (Wednesday) night and it is dated July 15, 2026.Under the NSA, 1980, the “appropriate authority can designate police chiefs and district magistrates as detaining authorities to maintain public order.”As per the notification, Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu felt it was necessary to hand over these detention powers to the police chief in the interest of public security.The notification states: “Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub section (3) of section 3, read with clause (e) of Section 2 of the National Security Act, 1980, the Lt. Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi is pleased to direct that during the period 19/07/2026 to 18/10/2026 the Commissioner of Police, Delhi may also exercise the powers of detaining authority under sub section (2) of the section 3 of the aforesaid Act.”This means the commissioner can now pass preventive detention orders against anyone whose actions are seen as a threat to national security, public order, or the supply of essential goods and services, as per the NSA.This article is updated with the Delhi Police’s post on X clarifying that the current renewal order pertaining to the DCP being granted special powers under NSA were issued on July 7, and republished at 2.50 pm IST on the same day.