NEW DELHI: With INDIA bloc leaders marching towards Jantar Mantar on Wednesday to demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Delhi Police reiterated that protests at the designated site require prior permission sought at least 10 days in advance and are restricted to a maximum of 1,000 people.The clarification comes amid heightened security in central Delhi, with the INDIA bloc protesting against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) planning a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on October 10.
Delhi Police cites 10-day permission norm
Under a Delhi Police standing order issued in compliance with a 2018 Supreme Court judgment in Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan vs Union of India, protests, demonstrations and sit-ins at Jantar Mantar require prior permission from the competent authority.The police guidelines allow gatherings of up to 1,000 people at the 18th-century observatory, while larger protests are to be shifted to other designated sites.Applications seeking permission must be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi district, at least 10 days before the proposed event.
Central Vista areas off-limits
The guidelines also prohibit demonstrations in the Central Vista area, including India Gate, C-Hexagon, Man Singh Road, Janpath, Rajpath and adjoining lawns.For larger gatherings, Delhi Police has designated Ramlila Maidan for protests involving between 1,000 and 50,000 people, while demonstrations exceeding 50,000 participants are to be held at Burari.
Supreme Court on right to peaceful protest
The Supreme Court, in its July 2018 judgment, had held that peaceful protest is a fundamental right. It also directed authorities to put in place a mechanism to regulate demonstrations and balance the rights of protesters with public order and the interests of residents.The issue has assumed significance as INDIA bloc MPs and supporters marched towards Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, a day after hundreds of opposition leaders and workers were detained following their march to the Election Commission and an over eight-hour sit-in inside Akashvani Bhawan.The opposition has accused Kumar of facilitating the deletion of lakhs of names from electoral rolls through the SIR exercise and has been demanding his resignation.
CJP October 10 protest: What police rules say
The CJP has formally intimated Delhi Police about its proposed October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar, with its co-convenor Saurav Das submitting an intimation letter at Parliament Street police station.The outfit has said thousands of people are expected to participate.
Security tightened amid repeated Jantar Mantar protests
The police restrictions come against the backdrop of several recent attempts by political parties and student organisations to mobilise at Jantar Mantar over the SIR issue.Protesters had also attempted to reach the site on earlier occasions amid heavy barricading and deployment of security personnel, with several of them being detained.Delhi Police has maintained that Jantar Mantar remains an authorised site for peaceful and approved demonstrations, but stressed that such protests are subject to prior permission and the prescribed crowd limit.(With PTI inputs)