The Congress on Monday said that the Delhi Police removing Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site was a sign of the “extreme panic that has gripped” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah.
The order to denotify Jantar Mantar as a protest site was issued by Delhi Commissioner of Police Anurag Kumar on October 11 based on recommendations from a committee constituted by the Union home ministry.
As alternatives, the police designated the Ramlila Ground in central Delhi, Burari Ground in northern Delhi and CBD Ground in eastern Delhi’s Shahdara area as venues for protest.
The order was issued against the backdrop of protests in the national capital by the Cockroach Janta Party political campaign, the Opposition parties and student groups to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Protests had also been held in June and July at Jantar Mantar against alleged exam irregularities. The Cockroach Janta Party had started a sit-in demonstration at the protest site on June 20, which continued till July 28. The protest resulted in Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dharmendra Pradhan resigning as the Union education minister.
On Monday, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that “democracy no longer matters” to the prime minister and the home minister.
He described Modi and...