Delhi Police has removed Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest sites and named Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as alternative venues, prompting relief among some traders and concerns about traffic, wholesale markets and emergency access in central Delhi.
The change was announced through a standing order issued by Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar on October 11. It followed recommendations from a committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to examine alternative locations for demonstrations.
The New Delhi Traders Association welcomed the move away from Jantar Mantar, saying businesses in Connaught Place and nearby areas had faced disruption. NDTA president Atul Bhargava said traders had already procured goods for the festive season and were dealing with restrictions that affected customer movement and deliveries.
However, the Chamber of Trade and Industry and the All India Motor and Goods Transport Association have asked the Centre and Delhi Police to remove Ramlila Maidan from the new list. The associations said demonstrations at the ground could disrupt wholesale markets, transport networks and access to hospitals.
CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said markets within a five-kilometre radius include Sadar Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Chawri Bazar, Khari Baoli, Bhagirath Place, Kashmere Gate, Paharganj, Daryaganj, Kamla Market and Lajpat Rai Market. He said the markets handle business worth billions of rupees daily and that barricading, traffic restrictions or the closure of nearby Metro stations could affect activity, particularly during the festive season.
The traders’ body also claimed that protests held in Delhi on October 10 affected business worth approximately Rs 2,000 crore across retail, hospitality, transport, tourism and other service sectors. It said several markets either remained closed or recorded negligible business, while restrictions affected hotels, restaurants, cinemas, petrol pumps and salons.
CTI has written to the office of Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and political parties, seeking that protests be held outside Delhi until Diwali. The association also said Delhi hosts around 650 Ramlila events that provide employment to thousands of people.
AIMGTA president Rajinder Kapoor separately wrote to the Police Commissioner seeking Ramlila Maidan’s removal from the designated venues. He cited the ground’s proximity to wholesale markets, New Delhi Railway Station, Central Delhi roads and several hospitals, including Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, G B Pant Hospital, Guru Nanak Eye Hospital and Maulana Azad Hospital.
Kapoor said traffic restrictions affecting trucks entering through Rajghat could interrupt commercial activity and that congestion could hamper emergency access. He suggested Burari, Najafgarh or other locations on Delhi’s outskirts as alternatives.
The competing responses highlight the administrative challenge of selecting protest venues in a dense city: a site that reduces disruption in one commercial district may shift pressure onto another transport, market or residential network. Delhi Police’s standing order names the alternative venues, while traders’ associations are seeking further changes before the festive shopping period intensifies.
