Jantar Mantar ‘de-notified’ as protest venue; Delhi Police designates three new sites

Jantar Mantar has been formally de-notified as a protest venue by Delhi Police based on the recommendations of a committee constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Instead, three venues have been designated in its place: Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi.

A Standing Order signed by Commissioner of Police Anurag Kumar on October 11 says the Ministry of Home Affairs constituted a committee to examine “alternative proper venues” for citizens to organise protests and demonstrations in place of the existing “designated site”.

For the three newly notified protest sites, the order notes that a “detailed and revised SOP” will be issued separately to regulate protests there.

The order does not specify permission timelines, crowd limits, timings, or whether earlier conditions will carry over. It describes itself as a partial modification of a previous Standing Order issued in April 2022, which governed protests in the city, but does not specify which parts of that order are being modified.

Central Delhi has been in a state of virtual lockdown since the Cockroach Janta Party and Left student organisations called for a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on October 10.   

The news of these new designated protest sites has elicited a strong reaction online.

This report was originally published by Newslaundry and can be accessed here.