Delhi Police has removed Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest sites and shifted demonstrations to Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground, prompting relief from traders in Connaught Place but concern over disruption around central Delhi’s wholesale markets and hospitals.
Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar issued a standing order on October 11 following recommendations from a committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to examine alternative locations for protests. The order makes the three locations the designated venues for demonstrations in place of Jantar Mantar.
The decision has received a mixed response from trade organisations. The New Delhi Traders Association welcomed the move away from Jantar Mantar, saying businesses in Connaught Place and surrounding areas had faced disruption during the festive shopping season. NDTA president Atul Bhargava said traders had already procured goods and were dealing with restrictions that affected customers, deliveries and access to markets.
The Chamber of Trade and Industry, while welcoming the removal of Jantar Mantar as a protest site, has asked the Centre and Delhi Police to exclude Ramlila Maidan from the new list. CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said the ground’s location could affect markets within a five-kilometre radius, including Sadar Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Chawri Bazar, Khari Baoli, Bhagirath Place, Kashmere Gate, Paharganj, Daryaganj, Kamla Market and Lajpat Rai Market.
Goyal said barricading and the possible closure of Metro stations during protests could affect commercial activity, particularly during the festive season. In a separate statement, the association claimed that protests in Delhi on October 10 had 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 traffic restrictions and Metro station closures affected hotels, restaurants, cinemas, petrol pumps and salons.
The All India Motor and Goods Transport Association has also sought Ramlila Maidan’s removal from the designated venues. AIMGTA president Rajinder Kapoor said the ground was located near wholesale markets, New Delhi Railway Station and roads connecting to central Delhi. He also cited its proximity to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, G B Pant Hospital, Guru Nanak Eye Hospital and Maulana Azad Hospital, arguing that congestion could hinder emergency access.
Kapoor suggested Burari, Najafgarh or other locations on Delhi’s outskirts as alternatives. He said restrictions affecting trucks entering through Rajghat could interrupt commercial movement and that protests moving through narrow lanes could affect nearby residential areas and shops. The association also raised concerns about the possibility of incidents increasing tensions in the surrounding area.
The trade bodies have urged the authorities to balance the right to peaceful protest with uninterrupted access to commercial districts, transport routes and essential services. CTI has also written to the office of Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and political parties, requesting that protests be held outside Delhi until Diwali. Delhi Police’s standing order currently leaves Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as the designated venues for demonstrations.
