New Delhi: Jantar Mantar will no longer be a designated protest venue in Delhi. The Delhi Police has identified three new locations for demonstrations under revised guidelines issued through a fresh standing order.
Under Delhi Police Standing Order No. L&O/48/2026, Ramlila Maidan, Burari Maidan and CBD Ground in East Delhi have been designated as protest sites. The decision has been taken on the recommendations of a committee constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The latest order partially modifies an earlier standing order dated April 28, 2022, which governed designated protest locations in the national capital. The Delhi Police said separate standard operating procedures (SOPs) and detailed guidelines for organising protests at the three newly designated venues will be issued subsequently, as reported by News18.
This comes as the Opposition steps up its campaign against alleged electoral irregularities and the SIR exercise.
Jantar Mantar has long been associated with demonstrations by political parties, civil society groups, activists and other organisations seeking to draw attention to their demands. Its location in central Delhi has made it a prominent site for protests on a range of political and public-interest issues.
Ramlila Maidan is a prominent ground in central Delhi that has hosted large political rallies and public demonstrations. Burari Maidan is a designated location in north Delhi, while CBD Ground is in the eastern part of the capital.
The Cockroach Janta Party had also sought permission to demonstrate at Jantar Mantar over its demands concerning Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and alleged irregularities in the voter-list revision process.
CJP activists approached the Parliament Street Police Station on Monday for permission to protest at Jantar Mantar. The group issued a 24-hour ultimatum, asking the Delhi Police to specify a date and time for the proposed demonstration.
The police had denied permission for CJP’s planned October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar, citing the failure to apply within the stipulated timeframe.
The Delhi Police’s decision to designate three new protest sites comes days after the Supreme Court asked the Centre and Delhi authorities to identify an alternative venue for demonstrations in the national capital, with better facilities for protesters.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana, had called for a rethink of the decades-old arrangement of holding demonstrations at Jantar Mantar.
The court, on October 9, had said a suitable alternative space should be identified where protesters could be provided basic amenities, including drinking water, toilets, medical facilities and other necessary infrastructure.
A protest venue should allow people to exercise their democratic rights without compromising public safety, access to emergency services or the interests of other residents, the Court had said.