Hours after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday said it would give the Delhi Police 24 hours to respond to its request for permission to hold a protest at Jantar Mantar amid protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over SIR, a standing order dated October 10 de-notified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site.
Three alternative protest venues designated
According to a standing order issued by Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, had constituted a committee to examine alternative proper venues for citizens' right to organise protests/demonstrations in place of the existing "designated site".
"Based on the Committee's recommendations, Jantar Mantar as a protest venue has been de-notified. Three new venues viz. Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground, East Delhi have been designated as new venues for organizing protest/demonstrations," the order read.
Delhi Police is expected to issue a separate, detailed, revised SOP for organising protests/demonstrations at these three venues.
CJP asserts right to protest
This development came after CJP Co-Convenor Saurav Das stated that peaceful protest was a constitutional right while asserting that people would continue to exercise it.
The CJP left it to Delhi Police to suggest a date and time for the proposed demonstration. "Peaceful protest is a right, a constitutional right, and people are already exercising it. People will continue to hold peaceful protests. The police always complain that we should approach them 10 days in advance. This time, we have left the choice to them and asked them to suggest a date and time for our protest. We are leaving everything to them, but we are also saying that they should not keep the matter pending indefinitely. We will give them a 24-hour ultimatum. Let us see what happens after we speak to them," Das said.
