Jantar Mantar will no longer remain a designated protest site in Delhi after the Delhi Police designated Ramlila Maidan, Burari Maidan and CBD Ground as three new locations for demonstrations, citing security concerns. The change moves most organised protests farther from Parliament, with the distances varying sharply across the three venues.
Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi is the closest of the three locations. It is approximately 3 kilometres from Jantar Mantar and around 4 kilometres from Parliament House, according to the report. CBD Ground in east Delhi is about 12 kilometres from Jantar Mantar and 13 kilometres from Parliament. Burari Maidan is the farthest, at roughly 21 kilometres from Jantar Mantar and around 20 kilometres from Parliament.
The decision alters the geography of public demonstrations in the capital. Jantar Mantar’s proximity to Parliament has made it a prominent location for groups seeking to bring their demands close to the country’s central legislative institution. Under the new arrangement, protesters using CBD Ground or Burari Maidan will have to travel considerably farther from central Delhi and Parliament to reach their designated assembly locations.
Ramlila Maidan has previously hosted large public movements and remains the most prominent of the three new venues. In August 2011, social activist Anna Hazare held a movement there demanding a Jan Lokpal law. The campaign had begun at Jantar Mantar in April that year, but was shifted to Ramlila Maidan after the gathering grew substantially, according to the report.
The decision follows a reported security concern linked to a protest march in July 2026. During an agitation by the Cockroach Janata Party, protesters moved from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament. The crowd began approaching the Parliament complex, after which the main gates were closed, the report said.
The Cockroach Janata Party has opposed the move to denotify Jantar Mantar as a protest venue. Its co-convener said on X that the organisation did not accept the decision and questioned whether the Union Home Ministry had consulted citizens, stakeholders or organisations before taking it. The statement described the decision as arbitrary.
The immediate administrative implications will depend on how Delhi Police enforces the new designation and manages permissions, routes and crowd movement at the three venues. The order, as reported, establishes the replacement locations but does not provide further details in the supplied material on the duration of the arrangement or whether the decision can be reviewed.
