New Delhi: Delhi Police have registered an FIR against protesters detained during a march towards Jantar Mantar on November 1, after members of the Disha Students’ Organisation allegedly attempted to move beyond the venue permitted for their rally.
The protesters had been granted permission to hold a gathering at Ramlila Maidan. However, according to police, some participants attempted to march towards Jantar Mantar, which is no longer a designated protest site. Police stopped the march near Minto Road and detained those involved.
The incident took place at around 5 pm on November 1. The FIR was registered against the detained protesters, police said.
Why Did Delhi Police Denotify Jantar Mantar As A Protest Site?
The development comes amid a legal challenge to the Delhi Police’s decision to remove Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest venues.
On Tuesday, Delhi Police told the Supreme Court that the decision was based primarily on recommendations made by a committee constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
In a counter-affidavit filed in response to journalist Swaty Singh’s petition challenging the denotification, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar said the decision followed an assessment of the changed ground situation.
The police cited concerns over traffic congestion, crowd management and the impact of demonstrations on nearby residents, government offices and emergency services.
The counter-affidavit also rejected the suggestion that Jantar Mantar had been denotified in compliance with the Supreme Court’s October 9 order in the M.A. Baby case.
According to the police, the proposal to change the status of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest venue had been under consideration by the Delhi Police and the Central government for a considerable period.
The MHA constituted a committee on August 26 to examine whether the location should continue to serve as a protest site and recommend alternative venues.
INDIA Bloc Holds Rally At Ramlila Maidan Over SIR
The November 1 incident came on the day the INDIA bloc organised a major rally at Ramlila Maidan against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Several Opposition leaders attended the gathering, including Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
The march began near the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction and proceeded towards Ramlila Maidan, where thousands of supporters gathered.
Addressing the issue of alleged electoral irregularities, Rahul Gandhi accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of facilitating what he described as vote theft. He also said the CEC would be removed from office and jailed.
The rally and the separate march by Disha Students’ Organisation both took place against the backdrop of restrictions on demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, with Ramlila Maidan serving as the permitted venue for the Opposition gathering.
