Kashmir Impulse Desk
New Delhi, Oct 12
Delhi Police has withdrawn Jantar Mantar’s designation as an authorised protest venue and named three alternative sites for demonstrations, according to an order issued by the police commissioner.
The order, issued by Commissioner Anurag Kumar on Sunday, designates Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi as venues for protests.
It follows recommendations by a committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to examine alternative locations.
“Based on the Committee’s recommendations, Jantar Mantar as a protest venue has been de-notified,” the order said, adding that a revised standard operating procedure for demonstrations at the new sites would be issued separately.
The decision partially modifies a standing order dated April 28, 2022.
The move comes amid protests against the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, as well as criticism of police action against demonstrators in the capital.
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, criticised the decision, saying it restricted the right to dissent.
In posts on X, Dipke said Jantar Mantar had effectively ceased to function as a protest venue and warned that the move could undermine democratic freedoms.
Jantar Mantar in central Delhi has long been a prominent location for demonstrations on political, social, and civic issues.
The new arrangement shifts authorised protests to three locations across the capital, with detailed rules for their use still to be announced.
The Delhi High Court agreed on Monday to hear on Tuesday a petition challenging the alleged closure of Jantar Mantar as a protest site.
A lawyer told a bench led by Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre that peaceful demonstrations were being curtailed without an alternative site having been earmarked.
The court also agreed to hear a separate petition alleging that outsiders had entered a protest over the weekend and harassed demonstrators.
