A rally called by Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani turned out to be a damp squib on Tuesday as it saw empty chairs and a poor turnout.

Delhi Police had deployed a large number of cops for crowd control anticipating a large turnout, but it had to withdraw a big part of it as very few people actually came out on the streets.

The rally was organised to demand the release of Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad. Even though Delhi Police had not granted permission to Mevani for the event at Parliament Street citing an NGT order, the venue was fortified in anticipation of trouble.

However, due to abysmal turnout, almost 80 per cent of the police force armed with tear gas and water cannons was withdrawn by Delhi police.

"Eighty per cent of police personnel deployed for Mevani's Yuva Hunkar rally were withdrawn after we found fewer turnout. Delhi police earlier estimated that the gathering would be around 5,000," an official said, highlighting the poor turnout at the much-touted event.

Mevani, who was heading the rally, has been accused of instigating and provoking violence in Maharashtra after the Bhima Koregaon incident. The violence paralysed normal life in Maharashtra, following which an FIR was filed against him and JNU student Umar Khalid.

The rally saw former and current JNU students' union leaders from various Leftist organisations, including Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, Shehla Rashid and Mohit Pandey in attendance, apart from senior Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan.

Despite no permission from Delhi police, the organisers conducted the rally claiming that it was being held on Parliament Street where the NGT order does not apply.

"It is unfortunate. We were just going to demonstrate peacefully and democratically but the government is targeting us. An elected representative is not being allowed to speak," Mevani said before the rally started.

The rally, which saw students from Allahabad University, Delhi University, Lucknow University and JNU, was organised to emphasise on issues such as educational rights, employment, livelihood and gender justice.

"The way corruption, poverty, unemployment and other real issues are being swept under the carpet, and ghar wapasi, love jihad and cows are being given space, we stand against that. We do not believe in love jihad, but in love. We will celebrate April 14 (Ambedkar Jayanti) and February 14 (Valentine's Day)," Mevani said, addressing the crowd.