Delhi Police de-notify Jantar Mantar as protest venue, name three sites

The Delhi Police has denotified Jantar Mantar as a designated site for protests and named three new spots for holding such demonstrations, a development that comes after a series of agitations over recent months left New Delhi district, the administrative nerve centre of the government, paralysed. Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar issued the standing order on October 11, naming Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as the new designated sites for protests and demonstrations. While Ramlila Ground, in Central District, is four km away from the current site, the CBD Ground in East District is around 13 km and Burari Ground in North District is nearly 21 km away. “Ministry of Home Affairs had constituted a committee to examine alternative proper venues for citizens’ right to organise protest/demonstrations in place of the existing ‘designated site’,” the order read. Based on the committee’s recommendations, Jantar Mantar as a protest venue has been denotified, it said.
Further, it said that a detailed and revised SOP for organising protests and demonstrations at these three venues will be issued separately. The move comes amid heightened security arrangements in the national capital, following calls for protests at Jantar Mantar by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and opposition leaders. The New Delhi district was virtually in a lockdown in recent days after authorities refused permission for protests, causing inconvenience to office-goers, commuters and others.

The New Delhi district is considered a sensitive area as it houses Parliament and several important government and private offices, along with the residences of the President, Prime Minister, ministers and other prominent dignitaries. Any large-scale protest in the district poses significant logistical and security challenges for the police, given the concentration of vital establishments and restricted-access areas. The district also houses the New Delhi Railway Station, a major transport hub used by thousands of commuters travelling to different parts of the country every day. Security restrictions, road closures or traffic diversions in the surrounding areas can affect passengers and disrupt access to the station.
The Congress on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the de-notification of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site, alleging that democracy no longer mattered to them and that it was all a matter of “demokursi”. Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the decision was a definite sign of “extreme panic” gripping the prime minister and home minister, arguing that the historic Jantar Mantar would no longer be a place where democracy received a daily booster dose.