The Delhi Police on Thursday dismissed rumours circulating on social media claiming that Jantar Mantar has been closed to protests. According to Delhi Police, these claims are entirely false, misleading, and devoid of facts.
“It is officially clarified that Jantar Mantar remains an active and authorised site for peaceful and authorised demonstrations,” the Delhi Police said.
As per the Supreme Court Order and the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the Delhi Police, in compliance with it, a maximum of 1,000 persons may be permitted at the venue.
According to the Delhi police, permission for protests at Jantar Mantar is granted by the competent authority upon formal application by the concerned organisers or individual(s), subject to adherence to the prescribed terms and conditions.
How did Jantar Mantar become Delhi's designated protest site
Located about 2 km from Parliament House, Jantar Mantar has been the designated protest site in the national capital for decades and has hosted some of the most notable demonstrations the country has ever witnessed.
It replaced the previous designated protest site, Boat Club lawns near India Gate in 1993. The change of venue was instituted after a massive farmer demonstration in 1988 led by Mahendra Singh Tikait, the father of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait. The protesters brought central Delhi and the Parliament to a standstill for a week after hundreds of thousands of farmers occupied the Boat Club lawn.
CJP protest at Jantar Mantar
Until last week, Jantar Mantar was the site of the more-than-a-month-long protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The CJP protest, which saw an unprecedented flow of young demonstrators, began on June 6 and ended on the 37th day, on July 25, with the resignation of Pradhan.
While the Supreme Court guidelines permit a maximum of 1,000 protesters at the site, the peak of the CJP protest saw tens of thousands of demonstrators, including many who camped there for days.
