New Delhi, Oct 13: The Delhi Police on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court that it had de-notified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site and identified three alternative locations for demonstrations in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions on facilitating peaceful protests.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma, appearing for the Delhi Police, submitted before a single-judge Bench of Justice Amit Mahajan that the decision to identify alternative sites had been taken in accordance with the apex court order passed last week.
“The Supreme Court said appropriate sites need to be identified and designated and we have precisely done that,” the Centre’s law officer submitted. The submission came during the hearing of a plea filed by Indian Youth Congress (IYC) President Uday Bhanu Chib challenging the Delhi Police’s refusal to grant permission for a protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar.
ASG Sharma argued that since Jantar Mantar had been de-notified as a designated protest site, the petition had become infructuous. The Ramlila Group, the Burari Ground, and the CBD Ground in east Delhi are the new designated protest sites. However, senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Chib, contended that other prayers raised in the petition remained maintainable and sought issuance of notice on them.
Opposing the request, the Delhi Police counsel argued against issuing notice. After hearing the submissions, Justice Mahajan issued notice on three of the prayers raised in the petition. The development comes days after the Supreme Court asked the competent authorities to consider identifying and designating suitable alternative sites equipped with basic amenities and infrastructure for holding peaceful and lawful protests in the national capital.
In an order passed on October 9, a Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana observed that it was “high time” basic amenities were provided to those participating in peaceful demonstrations. The apex court had said that suitable alternative locations capable of accommodating the necessary infrastructure should be identified and designated, and directed the competent authority to consider the suggestion and take an appropriate decision.
The observations came while the Supreme Court was examining restrictions imposed on Metro and railway services in Delhi ahead of a proposed protest at Jantar Mantar. The IYC petition arose from the Delhi Police’s refusal to grant permission for a demonstration against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
According to the plea, the organisation had applied on September 25 for permission to hold a peaceful protest involving around 100–150 people, but the rejection was communicated on October 1, the date initially proposed for the demonstration. The proposed protest was part of the opposition INDIA Bloc’s demonstrations against the CEC over the controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
IANS