Jantar Mantar No Longer A Protest Venue, Delhi Gets 3 New Designated Sites

Three new locations have been finalised as designated sites for protests and sit-ins in the national capital based on recommendations of a committee under the Union Home Ministry.

Jantar Mantar in the high-security central Delhi area, which so far had served as a designated protest site, will no longer be used for this purpose.

The three new protest venues are: Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in east Delhi.

The development came amid protests by the Opposition bloc INDIA and the satirical political group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in central Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the special intensive revision (SIR) controversy.

The Opposition will likely criticise the announcement as a bid by the Centre to stop democratic protests. The Delhi Police come under the Union Home Ministry.

However, the traffic situation in the areas near Jantar Mantar, which is also close to several important government buildings, may improve for the general public.

The order denotifying Jantar Mantar as a designated site for protests was issued by Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar.

"Based on the Committee's recommendations, Jantar Mantar as a protest venue has been de-notified. Three new venues viz Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground, East Delhi have been designated as new venues for organizing protest/demonstrations," the order said.

The police said a set of standard operating procedures (SOP) for holding protests at the three new locations would be issued separately.