New Delhi (Rajeev Sharma): Jantar Mantar, one of the capital’s best-known locations for public demonstrations, will no longer be an officially designated protest venue following a new order issued by the Delhi Police. The authorities have instead approved Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi as alternative locations for protests and demonstrations.
The decision follows a review initiated by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, which formed a committee to identify suitable places where citizens could exercise their right to hold public protests. The revised arrangement was outlined in an order signed by Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar.
According to the order, the changes were introduced on the basis of recommendations submitted by the committee. Jantar Mantar has consequently been removed from the list of designated demonstration sites, while the three newly identified locations will serve as approved alternatives.
The Delhi Police has said that separate guidelines will be issued to explain the procedures for conducting protests at the newly designated venues.
Revised Rules to Govern Demonstrations
The selection of alternative locations is expected to change the arrangements under which public gatherings are organised in the national capital. However, the detailed standard operating procedure (SOP), covering the conduct of demonstrations at the three sites, is yet to be released.
The revised instructions are expected to provide further clarity on the process for organising protests at the designated grounds. Until those details are made available, the precise arrangements governing demonstrations at each location remain unclear.
Jantar Mantar’s Long Association with Public Protests
Jantar Mantar has played a significant role in Delhi’s protest culture since 1993. Its emergence as a prominent demonstration site followed restrictions on protests in the Boat Club area near India Gate after a major farmers’ rally led by Mahendra Singh Tikait in 1988.
Over the years, the location became a familiar gathering point for political groups, activists and citizens seeking to draw attention to public issues.
Its status as a protest venue has also been shaped by legal interventions. In October 2017, the National Green Tribunal prohibited demonstrations at Jantar Mantar and directed that protests be shifted to Ramlila Maidan. The Supreme Court subsequently overturned the blanket ban in July 2018, permitting peaceful demonstrations subject to appropriate regulation.
Ramlila Maidan Returns to the Spotlight
Among the three newly designated sites, Ramlila Maidan carries particular historical significance. The sprawling ground has hosted several major political gatherings and mass movements over the decades.
It was a prominent venue during Jayaprakash Narayan’s agitation against the Indira Gandhi government in 1975 and later became a focal point of Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement in 2011.
With the latest police order, Ramlila Maidan will once again feature among the officially designated locations for public demonstrations, alongside Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi.
The change marks a significant revision in Delhi’s arrangements for public protests. Further details about how demonstrations will be regulated at the new venues are expected once the Delhi Police issues its revised operating guidelines.
