Jantar Mantar Should Never Have Been A Protest Site: Delhi Police To Supreme Court

In the backdrop of Jantar Mantar being denotified as a designated protest site, the Delhi Police has told the Supreme Court that the area should never have been permitted to host demonstrations.

In an affidavit filed by Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, the Supreme Court has been informed that Jantar Mantar was denotified as a protest site due to its limited capacity to accommodate large crowds and its proximity to sensitive government institutions and foreign embassies.

Court has been told as the site can accommodate only 1,500 people at a time, Ramlila Maidan, CBD Ground and Burari Ground are better alternative venues.

The decision to denotify Jantar Mantar is said to be taken on the unanimous recommendation of Ministry of Home Affairs committee and is an administrative and executive decision.

Delhi Police's decision to strip Jantar Mantar of its status as a designated protest site has been challenged before the Supreme Court. The challenge by way of an application is to a standing order issued on October 11, 2026 by Delhi Commissioner of Police Anurag Kumar, which de-notified the site and named Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi as the venues for protests and demonstrations in the national capital.

By the standing order of October 11, the Commissioner of Police de-notified Jantar Mantar as a protest venue. In its place, the order designated three locations: Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi. The order states that a detailed and revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for protests at the three venues will be issued separately.

The order came amid protests in the capital against the Election Commission of India and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, and police action against those protests. The application relies on an earlier ruling of the Supreme Court. It points out that the Court had previously recognised Jantar Mantar as a designated site for protests and had rejected Ramlila Maidan as an unsuitable alternative.

On that basis, the application questions the rationale behind the restrictions now imposed by the Delhi Police and the choice of the alternative locations. The application also raises concerns about the three venues themselves. It alleges that some of them are situated near Delhi's landfill sites, and questions whether they are suitable for hosting public gatherings.

"Based on the Committee’s recommendations, Jantar Mantar as a protest venue has been de-notified. Three new venues viz Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground, East Delhi have been designated as new venues for organizing protest/demonstrations...Detailed and revised SOP for organizing protest/ demonstrations at these three venues will be issued separately..," a standing order issued on October 11, 2026 stated.

Jantar Mantar has historically served as one of the capital's most prominent protest venues, attracting political parties, civil society groups, students and activists seeking to draw public attention to their demands.

The site in July had witnessed massive protests against the NEET-UG paper leak. The protest, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, saw a sea of students and even their families protesting against the irregularities in the exam system and the NEET paper leak.