The Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) has issued an order allowing the Commissioner of Police to exercise powers under the National Security Act (NSA) for three months, spanning July 19 to October 18.However, the police said that the order is “routine” and formally gazetted on July 15 — well before the latest Cockroach Janta Party protests commenced. In a social media post, Delhi Police said, “No special request or order was initiated in connection with recent events.”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, 2026Police also said that no specific request had been made in the context of the ongoing protests, and that the renewal was a routine administrative exercise. It said that the order should not be taken out of context.First, the National Security Act in briefThe NSA was passed by Parliament after Indira Gandhi returned to power in 1980, and notified in the official gazette. It was described as “an Act to provide for preventive detention in certain cases and for matters connected therewith”. The Act repealed the National Security Ordinance, 1980.It has been widely criticised as “draconian” because of the powers of preventive detention that it grants the government. The detention under the NSA can extend up to 12 months, or even for longer if the government can produce more evidence against the detainee.Under the Act, a District Magistrate or Police Commissioner can issue a detention order, typically for up to 12 days unless otherwise approved by the state. Within three weeks, the detaining authority must place every order before an Advisory Board, comprising persons eligible to be High Court judges, with the Board required to submit its opinion within seven weeks of the date of detention.Also in Explained | PM Modi’s push for fast-track courts amid paper leak protests: How they work, what the law allowsIf no sufficient cause is found, the government must revoke the order. Otherwise, the government may issue a continuation or extension of such detention up to three months at a time, for a maximum of 12 months under a single order.However, the detaining authority may issue a fresh detention order against the same person provided the combined period doesn’t exceed 12 months under a single order. However, Section 14(2) of the Act allows a fresh order to be issued irrespective of the revocation or expiry of the previous order.Reading the order…Story continues below this ad The order dated July 15, 2026The notification was issued by the Delhi Home Ministry’s Police II Department, which oversees the statutory, administrative, legal and operational policies concerning Delhi Police.Signed by Ramesh Kumar, Deputy Secretary in the state Home Department, it empowers the Delhi Police Commissioner to act as the detaining authority under Section 3(2) of the NSA. This is a power typically enjoyed by the governor — hence the Delhi L-G.Also Read | Can police seek live location to stop people attending protests?The Act allows detentions without immediate criminal prosecution for a specified period, subject to safeguards laid down in the law. These include “acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the State or…the maintenance of Public order or…the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the community”.…and relevant sections from the NSAThe order was issued under Section 3(3) of the NSA, to be read with Section 2(e) of the Act.Story continues below this adSection 3(3) of the Act allows a state government to delegate the power of detention under 3(2) to the District Magistrate or Commissioner of Police if the government is satisfied of its necessity.The order also mentions Section 2(e) of the Act, which simply defines what counts as “State Government” for Delhi, which is a union territory as well, and identifies its administrator as having the authority to make this delegation.The powers of the detaining authority are contained in Section 3(2) of the NSA. This section empowers the “detaining authority” to order that a person be detained to prevent them from “acting in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the community”. These specifically concern defence, foreign relations, national security, and maintenance of public order or essential supplies.How the latest order compares with past orders issued by the L-GStory continues below this ad The order dated January 10, 2020.An identical order was issued by the L-G on January 10, 2020, in the wake of continued protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Even then, the Delhi Police had clarified that the order was routine and issued periodically. The order dated October 16, 2015Another order was issued on October 16, 2015, conferring the “powers of detaining authority” upon the Commissioner for the period 19.10.2015 to 18.1.2016.