For 30 years, Jantar Mantar was where India came to be heard - from Anna Hazare to Nirbhaya to farmers. On Monday, Delhi Police standing order ended that history, denotifying it as protest site and notifying three others: Ramleela Maidan, Burari and CBD Ground East Delhi.
The timing is telling. It came after thousands were detained to prevent Opposition and CJP protests over CEC resignation. Police said move follows MHA committee recommendation to examine alternative venues, modifying April 28, 2022 order.
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Two of new sites are over 20 km from Parliament. Burari is in outer north-west, CBD Ground 26 km north-east. Ramleela is 3.4 km from Jantar Mantar, but as PTI reported, it is booked 362 days a year, available only Dec 29-31 this year, costing Rs 50,000 per day plus Rs 55,000 deposit.
Activist Harsh Mander, whose CJP was at centre of NEET protests in June-July that led to Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, said asking permission 10 days in advance and then giving date months away is de facto ban.
Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar said revised SOPs will be issued. But ideas page commentators call it redemocratisation in reverse. Jantar Mantar was within earshot of Parliament - protest visible to power. Ramleela is visible only to crowd itself.
Legally, Supreme Court in 2020 PFI judgment said blanket ban under Section 144 - now 163 BNSS - across city is impermissible, must be area and time specific. Police must facilitate protest at designated site, not ban it.
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Economically, moving protest to outskirts raises costs transport, sound, sanitation - beyond reach of small groups. Students, workers, families cannot afford Rs 1 lakh for ground.
For BJP government at Centre, it is administrative convenience. For Opposition, it is proof of shrinking democratic space. For Delhi, which has seen 10,000 protests at Jantar Mantar since 1993, it is end of an address and thus democracy.
The question now: will Supreme Court hearing on detentions also examine denotification?
Tags: #JantarMantarDenotified #DelhiPolice #RamleelaMaidan #RightToProtest #MHA #CJP #ProtestLaw #Section163 #Democracy #Lutyens