New Delhi: The Delhi Police has de-notified Jantar Mantar as a designated site for protests and demonstrations, ending the historic venue's long run as the capital's default protest address.
According to an official standing order issued on October 11 by Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, three new sites have been designated for protests and demonstrations: Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground, and CBD Ground in east Delhi.
Opposition cries foul
The move landed in the middle of the third day of protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and drew sharp criticism from the Opposition. Cockroach Janta Party co-founder Saurav Das said the party did not accept what he called an arbitrary decision, describing it as an assault on people's right to protest.
The legal fight over the closure will itself reach court quickly: the Delhi High Court is set to hear pleas concerning the Jantar Mantar closure on Tuesday, along with claims that outsiders harassed demonstrators during the weekend protest over the SIR. CJP's Saurav Das also questioned the rationale directly, asking why the Prime Minister was "scared of Jantar Mantar" — underlining how central the venue is to the Opposition's symbolic politics.
Wider crackdown in the courts
The Supreme Court on Monday also agreed to hear, on Tuesday, a plea by the Supreme Court Bar Association over the detention of lawyers and the suspension of internet services during the protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant stressed that protests must not disrupt court proceedings or obstruct the movement of lawyers, litigants and court staff — a line that also covers the marches that have brought parts of central Delhi to a standstill over the past three days.
Sources: The New Indian Express — Delhi Protest Day 3 LIVE, Outlook India — Delhi Protest LIVE
According to an official standing order issued on October 11 by Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, three new sites have been designated for protests and demonstrations: Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground, and CBD Ground in east Delhi.
Opposition cries foul
The move landed in the middle of the third day of protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and drew sharp criticism from the Opposition. Cockroach Janta Party co-founder Saurav Das said the party did not accept what he called an arbitrary decision, describing it as an assault on people's right to protest.
The legal fight over the closure will itself reach court quickly: the Delhi High Court is set to hear pleas concerning the Jantar Mantar closure on Tuesday, along with claims that outsiders harassed demonstrators during the weekend protest over the SIR. CJP's Saurav Das also questioned the rationale directly, asking why the Prime Minister was "scared of Jantar Mantar" — underlining how central the venue is to the Opposition's symbolic politics.
Wider crackdown in the courts
The Supreme Court on Monday also agreed to hear, on Tuesday, a plea by the Supreme Court Bar Association over the detention of lawyers and the suspension of internet services during the protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant stressed that protests must not disrupt court proceedings or obstruct the movement of lawyers, litigants and court staff — a line that also covers the marches that have brought parts of central Delhi to a standstill over the past three days.
Sources: The New Indian Express — Delhi Protest Day 3 LIVE, Outlook India — Delhi Protest LIVE
