No room to protest: Jantar Mantar denotified, alternatives costly and distant

Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, after a discussion with a Home Ministry committee, denotified Jantar Mantar as a recognised protest site on the morning of October 12. The standing order essentially removed a space that has seen multiple protests for decades, ever since the original protest site was shifted from the Boat Club.

In place of the centrally located Jantar Mantar, barely a stone’s throw from Lutyens’ Zone, where multiple national institutions, including Parliament, stand, three other spaces have been offered for future protests —  Ramlila Maidan in Central Delhi, CBD Ground in Shahdara and Burari Ground in North West Delhi.
The closest to Jantar Mantar — Ramlila Maidan — has witnessed demonstrations and political upheavals for decades.

Spanning 12 acres, the space can hold 50,000 people at full capacity, a massive jump from the 1,000 allowed at Jantar Mantar.

Only 3 dates available this year
According to a PTI report, Ramlila Maidan has been booked for almost the entire year, with only three booking dates remaining unblocked. The report states that officials said only December 29, 30 and 31 are available for booking in 2026.

Moreover, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi-managed park allows booking only through payment. The report states that the booking rate for the ground is Rs 50,000 per day, plus a refundable Rs 55,000 security deposit. The initial outlay, including taxes, comes to Rs 1.21 lakh for a day’s booking.

The CBD Ground at Shahdara, around 14 km from Jantar Mantar, faces a similar problem. Because the venue is famous for multiple religious and cultural events, including weddings, protests struggle to secure a slot during the peak festive season. An official said Ramlila gatherings for Navratri have blocked much of the venue. “Future bookings have not yet been intimated, but we will have to talk to the appropriate authorities regarding how protests will be handled here,” he said.

Shahdara DCP, Rajendra Prasad Meena also stressed upon the high congestion prevailing in the area that would require more specific checks and balances.

“The CBD ground falls under the jurisdiction of the Anand Vihar police station. This location is highly congested, surrounded by various malls and heavy traffic movement. Regarding protests or programs, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is currently being formulated in accordance with directives from Police Headquarters (PHQ), and necessary approvals or No Objection Certificates (NOCs) will be required. Anyone wishing to stage a protest must take formal permission from the police station and strictly follow the established SOP,” he said.

Disruption to commercial district?

The ground sits in the middle of a busy commercial district, and residents and commuters are concerned about how protests will affect their daily lives. It is surrounded by a five-star hotel and two shopping malls. “This will cause a lot of issues for all of us, especially for the ones who stay here. Daily commuting will become a pressing issue,” said Rajesh Sharma, a resident.

Burari Ground, also known as Nirankari Ground, is located about 20 km from Jantar Mantar and spans around 50 acres. It is the farthest from the country’s administrative offices.

While its size suits large gatherings, its location raises concerns about whether demonstrations held there would remain visible to policymakers, the media and the wider public.

According to Shayeri, an activist with the All India Students’ Association (AISA), the government is trying to “invisibilise” protests by moving them far from areas of administrative importance. “The ploy by the government is to invisibilise protests and move them to distant spaces, since Jantar Mantar is especially close to the powers that be. While the government is trying to portray that they are being benevolent by providing three spaces for protests in exchange for one, it is mostly to ensure that the ‘eyesore’ of protests is beyond public purview and the seat of power, since they have not been able to stop protesters from crowding Delhi,” she said.

The standing order denotifying Jantar Mantar as a protest site has been challenged in the Supreme Court. It is slated to be clubbed with the other petitions regarding the protests and the hearing is scheduled for October 15.