Jantar Mantar in New Delhi has lost its status as the most popular and preeminent protest site in India’s capital city. With Delhi Police issuing a notice to that effect on Monday, October 12, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protested the move, calling it “unacceptable” and describing it as a step taken by the Narendra Modi-led NDA government out of fear. The main Opposition party Congress also voiced its protest against the move.
The wide footpath or lane abutting the Jantar Mantar observatory has long been a popular site for Indian citizens assembling to express dissent as a weapon of democracy. Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar issued a notice that said that Jantar Mantar as a protest venue has been denotified as per the recommendation of a committee constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs and that the committee also earmarked alternative venues for citizen’s right for organising protests.
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The new sites announced as designated protest venues are Ramlila Ground in Central Delhi, Burari Ground in North Delhi, and CBD Ground in East Delhi.
“Unacceptable. Why is Narendra Modi scared of Jantar Mantar? The Jantar Mantar belongs to THE PEOPLE OF INDIA. Did the Ministry of Home Affairs consult with the people of India? Were any stakeholders consulted? Were any organisations consulted? Take it in writing—just how they are denotifying people’s Jantar Mantar, the Prime Minister will soon denotify democracy in India. This move is a step towards that. We do not accept this arbitrary decision. It is an assault on people’s fundamental right to protest and peaceful assembly. Ab poora desh Jantar Mantar ban raha he!,” said Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokesperson Saurav Das in an X post.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke criticised Delhi Police’s decision to denotify Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site, warning that the move would not stop people from raising their voices against government.
“They have removed Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. Yes, it’s no longer a protest site as anyway it was turned into a war zone by the coward dictator. Ab poora desh Jantar Mantar banega!” Dipke said in a post on X.
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Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticised the sweeping restrictions and the heavy security deployment that turned New Delhi into a “fortress” during the protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on October 11 and 12. He termed the pre-emptive measures an “undeclared Emer-GenZ” and asserted that government must provide answers to citizens rather than relying on force and lathis. He emphasised that “expression, not repression” is needed and that barricades would not restore public confidence in the Election Commission.
Jantar Mantar, which first emerged as a protest site in 1993, has seen some of the major protests in recent years. Being close to Parliament House, Jantar Mantar has had a certain charm for protesters though it has never been large enough to hold a big crowd. With its two main entry and exit points, Jantar Mantar has also been easy for police to manage demonstrations.
CJP’s first major protest was held at Jantar Mantar in July 2026, which ended just as the outfit wanted—with the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as the Union education minister.
Five farmers’ unions from Punjab had staged a protest against the Modi government at Jantar Mantar on March 13, 2023, demanding loan waivers and minimum support price (MSP). Government had to withdraw the proposed farm laws as a result of these protests.
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The protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was held by a massive crowd of students and activists at Jantar Mantar on December 19, 2019.
Jantar Mantar was also the site for a 40-day protest by debt-ridden farmers from Tamil Nadu who demanded debt waiver and a Rs 40,000-crore drought relief package, among other demands in March and April 2017.
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It was at Jantar Mantar that Maharashtra social activist Anna Hazare had started a hunger strike on April 5, 2011, to add weight to the demand for a Lokpal Bill aimed at ending corruption. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Arvind Kejriwal was the most prominent byproduct of that protest.
