Full Breakdown
Jantar Mantar De-notified: Police Clampdown, Violent Clashes and Legal Battles
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On October 12, 2026 the Delhi Police de-notified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site, naming Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as alternatives. The move followed a Supreme Court-ordered review of protest venues and came amid demonstrations demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activists attempted to breach the newly barred site, were detained, and a viral video showed members of the right-wing Hindu Raksha Dal (HRD) assaulting protesters. Police arrested four HRD men on October 11, 2026 and filed FIRs against CJP leaders for trespass.
Background & Context
Jantar Mantar has been Delhi’s principal protest hub since the early 1990s because of its proximity to Parliament. The Supreme Court, hearing petitions on protest-site restrictions, urged the Union government on October 9, 2026 to identify a “spacious, open” alternative with basic amenities. The police issued a standing order on October 11, 2026 de-notifying the site, coinciding with a series of CJP rallies over the SIR exercise, which critics say favours the ruling BJP.
Timeline
- Oct 9, 2026 – Supreme Court bench recommends alternative venues.
- Oct 10, 2026 – CJP stages a “Jantar Mantar 2.0” protest; HRD members assault demonstrators near DDU Marg; video circulates.
- Oct 11, 2026 – Delhi Police arrest four HRD men (Raman Saini, Vivekanand, Kapil Kumar, Ravinder Govinda).
- Oct 12, 2026 – Police de-notify Jantar Mantar; new sites announced.
- Oct 13, 2026 – CJP leaders breach barricades, raise the national flag and are detained; Delhi High Court hears the IYC petition (Uday Bhanu Chib vs UOI).
Data & Statistics
- Over 3,000 protesters were detained during the October 10 crackdown.
- The standing order lists three alternative venues: Ramlila Ground (12 acres, booking fee INR1.21 lakh/day), Burari Ground (50 acres, capacity up to 5,000), and CBD Ground (12 acres).
Official Statements & Responses
HRD president Pinky Chaudhary called the arrested men his “warriors” defending Sanatan Dharma and warned the Dal “will not back down”.
Criticism & Opposition
- “Such moves further expose the BJP-led Union government’s intolerance of dissent and its contempt for the constitutional right to peaceful protests,” — A. Baby, general secretary.
- “Jantar Mantar belongs to people. Denotifying it will not stop the public from protesting there,” — Naureen.
- “The Modi government should stop throwing young protesters in jail and instead engage with them,” — Elaine Pearson, HRW Asia director.
Verbatim Quotes
- “By denotifying Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site, if the Modi-Shah-Bhagawat trio think they can diffuse protests and make them invisible, they are wrong.” — A. Baby.
- “Speaking to reporters, Dipke said, "Narendra Modi does not have a problem with Jantar Mantar as a location; he has a problem with protest.” — Abhijeet Dipke, CJP founder.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The number of people assaulted by HRD members is reported as “four” versus “several” in other videos, with no official police count released. HRD claims self-defence; opposition parties and eyewitnesses describe the assault as unprovoked. No independent forensic report has been made public.
What’s Next
- The Delhi High Court has issued notice on the IYC’s challenge and will hear further arguments on October 13, 2026.
- A separate petition in the Supreme Court contests the legality of the de-notification; the next hearing is set for November 17, 2026.
- The CJP plans to file a fresh petition seeking permission to protest at Jantar Mantar, while the government maintains that the new sites meet security and traffic requirements.