New Delhi, Oct. 12 -- Delhi Police has withdrawn Jantar Mantar's status as a designated protest site and named Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi as alternative venues for demonstrations, a decision that has drawn criticism from opposition parties and protest organisers and is facing legal scrutiny. The order, issued by Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar on October 11, follows a series of agitations in recent months that disrupted traffic and the functioning of New Delhi district, which houses Parliament, key government offices and the residences of senior constitutional authorities. The move marks a significant change for a venue that has served for decades as a gathering point for citizens seeking to bring their grievances directly to the attention of those in power.
According to the standing order, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had constituted a committee to examine suitable alternatives that would allow citizens to organise protests and demonstrations. Acting on the committee's recommendations, the police denotified Jantar Mantar and designated three new locations. The order modifies an earlier standing order dated April 28, 2022. Detailed and revised standard operating procedures for conducting demonstrations at the new venues will be issued separately.
The three sites are located at varying distances from the existing protest venue. Ramlila Maidan in Central Delhi is about four kilometres from Jantar Mantar, CBD Ground in East Delhi is around 12 to 13 kilometres away, and Burari Ground in North Delhi is nearly 21 kilometres away.
The decision comes amid heightened security arrangements in the capital after calls for protests at Jantar Mantar by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and opposition leaders.
The developments have also reached the courts. The Delhi High Court agreed on Monday to hear on Tuesday a petition concerning the closure of Jantar Mantar as a protest venue. A lawyer told a bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma that peaceful demonstrations were being curtailed because authorities had not provided an alternative site. The bench noted that the Supreme Court was also examining the issue and had asked the Union government to file affidavits.
Political reactions to the police order were sharply divided from the government's position. Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of being afraid of public protests. Calling the decision a sign of "extreme panic", he said, "Democracy no longer matters for them. It is all a matter of Demokursi."
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav described the withdrawal of Jantar Mantar's status as a designated protest venue as the "biggest defeat" of the BJP government.
CJP co-convener Saurav Das also rejected the decision, questioning whether citizens and organisations had been consulted. "We do not accept this arbitrary decision. It is an assault on people's fundamental right to protest and peaceful assembly," he said in a post on X.
For many citizens, the change affects a venue associated with some of India's most prominent public movements. Jantar Mantar became a designated protest site in 1993, after large-scale farmers' demonstrations near the Boat Club by India Gate in 1988 prompted restrictions on rallies there. Since then, the site has hosted campaigns on corruption, women's safety, agrarian distress, discrimination and alleged institutional failures.
In April 2011, activist Anna Hazare began a five-day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar demanding a stronger Jan Lokpal Bill to tackle corruption. Protests following the December 2012 gangrape of a young woman in Delhi brought thousands of people onto the streets, while demonstrations in 2014 followed the death of Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Tania, whose case triggered anger over alleged racial discrimination. Tamil Nadu farmers held a 41-day protest there in 2017, and prominent wrestlers staged a sit-in in 2023 against then Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment.
The site also became a gathering point during protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG medical entrance examination in 2024 and again in 2026.
The police have cited the operational challenges of managing large demonstrations in central Delhi, where barricades, traffic diversions, security cordons and restrictions around sensitive establishments can disrupt daily life. The district also contains New Delhi Railway Station and several Metro stations used by thousands of commuters. A series of recent confrontations, including clashes on July 20 linked to a CJP gathering, has added to security concerns.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.