Story perspectives

Delhi Police de-notify Jantar Mantar, name three alternatives

By Drooid · Oct 13, 2026, 4:05 AM UTC · How we work

Center

Jantar Mantar Removed

Delhi Police officially de-notified Jantar Mantar as a protest site in Delhi on October 11, 2026.
The change follows Home Ministry committee recommendations, amending the April 28, 2022 standing order that previously listed Jantar Mantar as approved.
Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar signed the revised order removing Jantar Mantar from approved locations.
New sites—Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground, CBD Ground—are 4 km, 13 km and 18–20 km away; SOPs will follow.

Left

Assault on Protest Rights

Delhi Police de-notified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site on October 11, 2026, and named three alternative venues.
Critics say the move suppresses dissent against the Modi government and attacks citizens’ fundamental right to protest.
CJP co-convenor Saurav Das called the de-notification an assault on fundamental peaceful assembly rights.
Congress secretary Jairam Ramesh called the decision panic by the Prime Minister and Home Minister.

Blindspot

The Supreme Court on October 9 urged the government to identify an alternative protest site with basic amenities, and the Delhi High Court agreed to hear a petition challenging Jantar Mantar’s closure, noting no venue has been earmarked.
Within this story's sources, this judicial-response angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

June 1975 President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, acting on Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s advice, declared a national emergency that suspended civil liberties and permitted mass arrests. Using MISA and Defence of India Rules, the government detained over 100,000 dissenters, spurring underground Janata Party activity. The 2026 police de-notification of Jantar Mantar mirrors that historic shift of protest sites.

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Jantar Mantar Removed

Delhi Police officially de-notified Jantar Mantar as a protest site in Delhi on October 11, 2026.
The change follows Home Ministry committee recommendations, amending the April 28, 2022 standing order that previously listed Jantar Mantar as approved.
Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar signed the revised order removing Jantar Mantar from approved locations.
New sites—Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground, CBD Ground—are 4 km, 13 km and 18–20 km away; SOPs will follow.

1 / 4