Delhi Police has removed Jantar Mantar from the list of sites where protests are permitted and designated three alternative venues, acting on the recommendation of a committee functioning under the Union Home Ministry. The new sites are Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground, and the CBD Ground in East Delhi. Protesters will now be required to hold demonstrations and sit-ins at one of these three locations.
Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar issued the order formally striking Jantar Mantar from the permitted list and recognizing the three new grounds as protest venues. Police are expected to announce shortly the conditions that must be met to hold protests at these sites.
The decision comes while demonstrations over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls are ongoing in the capital. The opposition INDIA bloc and the satirical political group Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) have both been agitating against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and the timing of the change has drawn attention.
The opposition is likely to criticize the move, and may allege that the Centre acted to curb protests. Delhi Police functions under the Union Home Ministry’s jurisdiction.
The shift is, however, expected to ease traffic congestion around Jantar Mantar, which lies close to key government offices and where demonstrations have frequently disrupted vehicle movement. Relocating protests elsewhere is anticipated to reduce traffic problems for the public.