After Delhi Police denotified Jantar Mantar as a designated site for protests and named three new spots for holding such demonstrations, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Abhijeet Dipke and Saurav Das on Monday criticised the official order and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of targeting the very idea of protest.
Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, on Monday, issued the standing order and named Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as the new designated sites for protests and demonstrations.
The decision followed recommendations by a committee constituted by the union home ministry. "Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, had constituted a committee to examine alternative proper venues for citizens' right to organise protest/demonstrations in place of the existing 'designated site'," the order read.
Based on the committee’s recommendations, Jantar Mantar as a protest venue has been de-notified, it said.
Taking to X, Dipke wrote: “They have removed Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site.
“Yes, it’s no a longer protest site as anyway it was turned into a war zone by the coward dictator.
“Ab poora desh Jantar Mantar banega! (Now the whole country will become Jantar Mantar)”
“Today, Modi denotified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site.
“Tomorrow, he will denotify democracy itself.
“The dictator’s problem was never the protest site. It was the very idea of people protesting.”
Das questioned whether the home ministry had consulted citizens or organisations before the decision. In a statement on X, he wrote:
“Unacceptable.
“Why is Narendra Modi scared of Jantar Mantar?
“The Jantar Mantar belongs to THE PEOPLE OF INDIA. Did the Ministry of Home Affairs consult with the people of India? Were any stakeholders consulted? Were any organisations consulted?
“Take it in writing—just how they are denotifying people’s Jantar Mantar, the Prime Minister will soon denotify democracy in India. This move is a step towards that.
“We do not accept this arbitrary decision. It is an assault on people’s fundamental right to protest and peaceful assembly. Ab poora desh Jantar Mantar ban raha he!”
The move comes amid heightened security arrangements in the national capital following calls to gather for protests at Jantar Mantar.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also criticsed the decision and wrote on X: "It is a definite sign of the extreme panic that has gripped the PM-HM duo that the historic Jantar Mantar will no longer be a place where our democracy is given a daily booster dose.
The poisonous pair is embattled and we have seen in the past few days how brutally they have dealt with peaceful public protests. Democracy no longer matters for them. It is all a matter of Demokursi."
What the Supreme Court said
The decision follows the Supreme Court’s October 9 consideration of alternative venues with basic amenities for peaceful protesters. Its order left the decision to the competent authority; it did not itself denotify Jantar Mantar.
“Why don’t you find an alternative space where you can also provide better facilities?” the bench asked, Hindustan Times reported.