A student group marched from Connaught Place in New Delhi on Tuesday, demanding the release of detained Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders and opposing the reported de-notification of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site.
Members of Disha, the student organisation that organised the march, called on citizens, particularly young people, to gather at Connaught Place in large numbers and “reclaim Jantar Mantar”. The mobilisation places the capital’s established protest venue at the centre of a dispute involving public access, policing and the regulation of demonstrations.
CJP leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday morning while they were attempting to enter Jantar Mantar, according to the report. The supplied account does not specify the legal grounds for the detentions or how long the three leaders were held.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said in a post on X that several other members had also been picked up by police. The report does not include a response from Delhi Police or details of any formal detention records, charges or notice issued to the organisation.
Disha members described the march as a demand for justice and sought the immediate release of Ranka, Das and other CJP members. Their protest also challenged the reported decision to de-notify Jantar Mantar as a designated site for demonstrations, a change that the group said affected the ability of citizens to assemble there.
The dispute highlights the administrative role of designated protest spaces in a dense capital city. Such locations determine where demonstrations can take place and how public gatherings are managed near major commercial, transport and government areas. In this case, the march began at Connaught Place, while the group’s stated demand focused on restoring access to Jantar Mantar.
The report does not provide the date or contents of any government or administrative notification concerning Jantar Mantar’s status. It also does not state whether the reported de-notification is temporary or permanent, which authority issued it, or whether alternative protest arrangements have been announced.
For residents and organisations seeking to hold demonstrations in central Delhi, those details will determine how the reported change affects permissions, assembly locations and police arrangements. The immediate public dispute, however, remains focused on the detention of CJP members and the demand to retain Jantar Mantar as a designated protest venue.
