Delhi Police on Monday, October 12, formally removed Jantar Mantar from its list of official protest venues, citing a committee recommendation from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
The standing order, issued a day earlier, designates Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as the only sanctioned sites for public demonstrations.
Jantar Mantar, which first gained status as Delhi’s protest hub in 1993, has become a symbol of citizen dissent, hosting rallies against everything from electoral reforms to municipal policies.
Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar explained that the committee’s report, based on public safety assessments, led to the renaming of venues to better manage crowd flow in the capital’s congested districts.
CJP co‑convenor Saurav Das blasted the move as an assault on fundamental rights, warning that “Modi is erasing democratic spaces.” He added that the decision was made without consulting local residents, NGOs or political parties.
The party’s founder, Abhijeet Dipke, took the criticism further, declaring that the denotification signals a “prelude to eroding democracy itself.”
Opposition groups, including the INDIA bloc, have echoed the concern, citing the ongoing debate over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls that has already sparked a nationwide protest against the Election Commission.
Ahead of the November 3 hearing on electoral roll reforms, the CJP has filed a petition requesting the Supreme Court to order a review of the police action, arguing that it undermines the right to peaceful assembly required for a fair election.
The Delhi Police will issue a detailed standard operating procedure for rallies at the three new venues by the end of the month, a move that could set a precedent for how protest sites are managed across major Indian cities.