Protest / Jantar Mantar De-Notified As Protest Site, Delhi Police Designates Three New Venues

New Delhi, Oct 12: Delhi Police on Monday de-notified Jantar Mantar as a designated venue for protests and demonstrations, naming Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in Shahdara as the three new sites for holding public protests.

According to a Delhi Police circular, the Ministry of Home Affairs had constituted a committee to examine alternative venues for citizens to exercise their right to organise protests and demonstrations.

Based on the committee's recommendations, Jantar Mantar has been de-notified as a designated protest site, the circular stated. Delhi Police said detailed and revised standard operating procedures (SOPs) for organising demonstrations at the three new venues would be issued separately.

Move Follows Protests Against Chief Election Commissioner
The decision comes after a weekend of mass detentions, including those of several former chief ministers. Delhi Police said the detentions were preventive measures to maintain law and order amid protest calls by several organisations, primarily the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

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Report On Election Commission Decisions Triggers Protests
The latest calls for protests have also been linked to an investigative report concerning decisions and orders related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

According to the report, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on record at least 14 times over the preceding 10 months to SIR-related decisions and orders that they said had been issued without their knowledge or recommendation.

The de-notification of Jantar Mantar marks a change in the designated venues available for organising demonstrations in the national capital. The revised SOPs for the three newly designated sites are awaited.