The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to the Centre and Delhi Police on a petition challenging the decision to denotify Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site in Delhi.
“We are issuing notice to the Centre, Delhi Police, seeking their reply. Let them reply. If it doesn’t satisfy, then the law will run its course,” the court said.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told the court that the decision to denotify Jantar Mantar was taken on the recommendation of a committee.
A Delhi Police order dated October 11 named Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi as the new venues for protests. A set of standard operating procedures for holding protests at these three locations is to be issued separately.
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Ramlila Maidan is managed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, while CBD Ground in Shahdara and Burari Ground fall under the Delhi Development Authority. Regulations on how the DDA will allocate grounds for political activities are currently being formulated.
Ramlila Maidan has a long history of hosting political protests and sit-ins. In contrast, CBD Ground and Burari Ground have not seen such events for years.
The development comes after Jantar Mantar, long a prominent protest site in the heart of the capital, lost its designated status. The issue has gained attention amid recent protests on various issues.