New Delhi, Oct 13: Former IPS officer and ex-Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi on Tuesday said Jantar Mantar was unsuitable as a protest site due to its narrow lanes and proximity to sensitive buildings and government offices. She also stressed the need for a clear security and operational plan for Ramlila Maidan when permission is granted for demonstrations.
In a post on social media platform X, Bedi recalled how designated protest sites in Delhi had changed over the decades. “During my lifetime of policing the city of Delhi, I have seen protest sites shift from the Prime Minister’s residence, Teen Murti Marg (then Mrs Gandhi’s residence), to the roads of Lutyens’ Delhi in the early 1970s, to India Gate in the 1980s, Boat Club and then Jantar Mantar,” she said.
Bedi said every city needed an open space for democratic expression through protests, but urban planners often failed to account for this requirement. “Every city does require an open space for democratic expression, which we also call a protest, but forgets to provide for it. City planners, please note: Jantar Mantar was least suited to be a protest site in view of its narrow lanes and proximity to sensitive buildings and offices,” she said.
Referring to Jantar Mantar’s location near Connaught Place, a prominent commercial hub in the national capital, Bedi said the administration at the time had erred in selecting the site and had failed to rectify the decision over the years. “Besides the iconic commercial area of the Connaught Place complex, I think the administration of that time erred in taking that decision and did not correct it all this while.
The consequences are there to see. Ramlila Maidan and other sites have been identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Perhaps the change needed a judicial nudge. Now we need a clear security and functioning plan for Ramlila Maidan to be stated when permissions are granted,” she said.
The remarks came after Delhi Police, in an order made public on Monday, de-notified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site and identified three alternative locations for demonstrations. Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar issued the standing order on October 11, designating Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as the new protest sites.
Jantar Mantar is located in central Delhi, barely a kilometre from Parliament House. Burari Ground, in north Delhi, is around 23 kilometres away, while CBD Ground in Shahdara is approximately 12 kilometres away. Ramlila Maidan is about three kilometres from Jantar Mantar.
The decision drew criticism from Opposition parties and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Democracy no longer matters for them (the Prime Minister and Home Minister). It is all a matter of Demokursi.” CJP co-convener Saurav Das described the decision as “unacceptable” and said the party did not accept what it termed an arbitrary move.
IANS