India
oi-Prakash KL
The Ministry of Home Affairs has de-notified Jantar Mantar in central Delhi as a designated venue for protests and demonstrations, acting on recommendations from a committee set up to examine alternative locations.
Under the decision, three new venues will be used for protests and demonstrations: Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground, and CBD Ground in East Delhi. The committee was formed to identify suitable alternatives while facilitating citizens’ right to protest in place of Jantar Mantar.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has de-notified Jantar Mantar in central Delhi as a designated protest venue, designating Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground, and CBD Ground as new locations based on committee recommendations.
The denotification order was issued by Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar. The order said that, based on the committee’s recommendations, Jantar Mantar has been de-notified and the three new venues have been designated.
The Ministry said a detailed, revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for organising protests at the three new venues will be issued separately. Police also said SOPs for the new locations would be released separately, NDTV reported.
Also, Jantar Mantar, located in the high-security central Delhi area and long served as a designated protest site, is not a designate protesting site anymore.
The move comes amid protests in central Delhi by the Opposition bloc INDIA and the satirical political group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) controversy.
