The Delhi Police told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that Jantar Mantar is no longer suitable for protests. Officials said the site causes traffic jams and safety risks for nearby residents and embassies. They suggested moving demonstrations to Ramlila Maidan or other grounds to better manage public order and security.
The Delhi Police told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that Jantar Mantar was no longer suitable for protests, citing concerns over public safety, traffic congestion, access for emergency services and the security of key installations, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
The police said a public road should not remain a permanent protest site and that a Union home ministry-appointed committee had unanimously found Jantar Mantar unsuitable for demonstrations. The committee recommended Ramlila Maidan in Central Delhi, CBD Ground in East Delhi and Burari Ground in north-west Delhi as alternatives.
In a counter-affidavit filed before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant in a separate petition by Swaty Singh, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar said the decision to remove Jantar Mantar's designation as a protest venue followed the committee's recommendations.
Kumar said the decision was not taken in response to the Supreme Court's October 9 order in another matter, as the government had been considering the proposal to change the designated protest venue for a considerable period.
The committee was formed on August 26 and submitted its report to the home ministry in September, well before the Supreme Court's October 9 order, the affidavit said.
Jantar Mantar hosts more than 1,300 protests and demonstrations every year, while its assessed maximum capacity is about 1,500 people, Kumar said. Large gatherings often restrict access for ambulances and fire brigades and create a risk of stampedes, he added, according to PTI.
The affidavit said 78 foreign embassies, diplomatic missions and offices of international organisations were located within a radius of about three to four kilometres of Jantar Mantar.
It added that 99 Central government offices, ministries and autonomous institutions, including the Reserve Bank of India, were in the area and received about 1.46 lakh visitors every day.
The area also has about 7,017 private homes with nearly 36,685 residents and 5,349 government housing units accommodating around 27,881 people. Protests and traffic congestion affect their daily lives, the affidavit said.
Kumar said the stretch around Jantar Mantar recorded about 250 distress calls between August 1 and 27. During the same period, 119 first information reports were registered over thefts, including motor vehicle thefts, along with more than 254 property-loss claims and 23 cases related to public-order violations, rioting and defacement.
The affidavit said the three proposed alternative venues would better balance the right to peaceful protest with the need to maintain public order, safety, traffic movement and uninterrupted emergency services. The police maintained that these concerns, along with the committee's findings, formed the basis for the decision to end Jantar Mantar's status as a designated protest venue.