# Delhi Police Denotifies Jantar Mantar, Moves Protests to Distant Sites

> Delhi Police officially removed Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site on October 12, 2026, redirecting demonstrations to three new venues located significantly farther from Parliament.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-17T01:04:42.241634Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/delhi-police-denotifies-jantar-mantar-moves-protests-to-distant-sites-7c9c2ef2

Delhi Police officially denotified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site on October 12, 2026, effectively moving demonstrations from a central location 2 kilometers from Parliament to new venues located up to 23 kilometers away [32][33][34]. This decision significantly alters the environment for public assembly in the capital, making protests less visible to government and potentially more costly for participants [33][34][35].

## What the Records Show
The Delhi Police's standing order on October 11, 2026, officially denotified Jantar Mantar, a site long associated with public demonstrations [1][12][23]. The police stated this decision was based on recommendations from a Union Home Ministry committee [17][22][33]. While the Delhi Police initially indicated the move was pursuant to a Supreme Court order from October 9, the Centre later clarified to the Supreme Court that the denotification stemmed from the committee's earlier recommendations, rather than directly from the court's observations [14][31]. The Supreme Court's October 9 observations had suggested identifying alternative protest venues [14].

Jantar Mantar is approximately 2 kilometers from Parliament [34]. The three newly designated protest sites are Ramlila Ground, about 6 kilometers away, CBD Ground, approximately 14 kilometers away, and Burari Ground, about 23 kilometers from Parliament [33][34]. Booking protests at these new venues can also involve substantial fees; Ramlila Ground can cost up to ₹25,000 per day, and CBD Ground has a minimum daily fee of ₹10,000 [35].

## The Timeline
The Delhi Police issued its standing order on October 11, 2026, and officially denotified Jantar Mantar the following day, October 12, 2026 [32][33]. This change occurred amidst ongoing protests led by the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) [2][19]. The CJP had been demonstrating against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his resignation over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls [20][25]. Following the denotification, several CJP leaders were detained for violating the ban on protests at Jantar Mantar [2][4]. Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were arrested for entering Jantar Mantar and raising slogans and were later sent to five days of judicial custody [2][4][5][8]. Other CJP leaders, including Abhijeet Dipke and Ajinkya Shinde, were also detained in connection with planned demonstrations [3][4][7][21].

## What Changed, and for Whom
The denotification significantly changes the conditions for public demonstrations in Delhi. Protesters, particularly those targeting central government policies or Parliament, must now travel farther and potentially incur higher costs [33][34][35]. The immediate impact was felt by the Cockroach Janta Party, whose leaders faced detention and judicial custody for attempting to protest at the denotified Jantar Mantar [2][4]. This action demonstrates a stricter enforcement environment around protest sites in the capital [2][3].

## What Has Been Said Publicly
Activists and opposition parties have criticized the decision. Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the CJP, and other spokespersons have publicly called the move an attempt to suppress dissent and reduce the effectiveness of protests [3]. Legal challenges have already begun. Advocate Swaty Singh filed a petition with the Supreme Court, arguing that relocating protests to distant areas could render the right to peaceful assembly ineffective [26][28]. The Indian Youth Congress has also challenged permit denials in the Delhi High Court, alleging "subterfuge" regarding Jantar Mantar's denotification [9][13][15]. The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre and Delhi Police, seeking a reply on the denotification and whether its October 9 observations were a basis for the move [11][14][27].

## What we could not confirm
We could not confirm the specific content of the Union Home Ministry committee's recommendations for denotifying Jantar Mantar as a protest site. We also could not confirm the exact timeline of the committee's formation and when its report was submitted. The specific criteria used to select the three new protest venues are also not detailed in the available information.

## Evidence cited
1. A thousand slogans echoed here - but it could be the end for iconic Delhi protest site (www.bbc.co.uk) — https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6kgqjvdv4n2o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
2. Leaders of India’s Cockroach party jailed for violating ban on protest site (www.theguardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/14/leaders-of-indias-cockroach-party-jailed-for-violating-ban-on-protest-site
3. India’s Cockroach Janta party leader detained amid crackdown on protests (www.theguardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/16/india-cockroach-janta-party-leader-detained-amid-crackdown-on-protests
4. thesouthfirst.com — https://www.thesouthfirst.com/
5. ndtvprofit.com — https://ndtvprofit.com/
6. indiatimes.com — https://www.indiatimes.com/
7. aninews.in — https://aninews.in/
8. outlookindia.com — https://www.outlookindia.com/
9. tribuneindia.com — https://www.tribuneindia.com/
10. hindustantimes.com — https://www.hindustantimes.com/
11. livemint.com — https://www.livemint.com/
12. ndtv.com — https://www.ndtv.com/
13. indianexpress.com — https://indianexpress.com/
14. newindianexpress.com — https://www.newindianexpress.com/
15. theprint.in — https://theprint.in/
16. thehindu.com — https://www.thehindu.com/
17. vajiramandravi.com — https://www.vajiramandravi.com/
18. youtube.com — https://www.youtube.com/
19. jacobin.com — https://jacobin.com/
20. iowapublicradio.org — https://www.iowapublicradio.org/
21. theguardian.com — https://www.theguardian.com/
22. risingkashmir.com — https://risingkashmir.com/
23. lawstreet.co — https://www.lawstreet.co/
24. ap7am.com — https://www.ap7am.com/
25. thefederal.com — https://www.thefederal.com/
26. verdictum.in — https://www.verdictum.in/
27. timesnownews.com — https://www.timesnownews.com/
28. livelaw.in — https://www.livelaw.in/
29. lawbeat.in — https://www.lawbeat.in/
30. lawchakra.in — https://www.lawchakra.in/
31. indiatoday.in — https://www.indiatoday.in/
32. Delhi Police Denotifies Jantar Mantar As Protest Site Citing Supreme Court Directive (News18) — https://www.news18.com/india/delhi-police-denotifies-jantar-mantar-as-protest-site-citing-supreme-court-directive-8703429.html
33. Jantar Mantar denotified as protest site: All you need to know about new venues and rules (India Today) — https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/jantar-mantar-protest-site-denotified-delhi-police-new-venues-2450849-2026-10-14
34. Distance from Parliament: Jantar Mantar vs New Protest Sites (Zee News) — https://zeenews.india.com/india/distance-from-parliament-jantar-mantar-vs-new-protest-sites-2298715.html
35. Delhi protest sites: Jantar Mantar, Ramlila Ground, Burari, CBD Ground - fees, capacity, distances (Firstpost) — https://www.firstpost.com/india/delhi-protest-sites-jantar-mantar-ramlila-ground-burari-cbd-ground-fees-capacity-distances-13524905.html