With INDIA bloc leaders marching to Jantar Mantar seeking Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s removal, the Delhi Police on Wednesday (October 7, 2026) reiterated that permission to protest at the site has to be sought 10 days in advance and gatherings not exceeding 1,000 people.
The police restrictions come against the backdrop of several recent attempts by political parties and student organisations to mobilise at Jantar Mantar over the SIR issue. Under the Delhi Police’s standing order issued in compliance with a 2018 Supreme Court judgment in Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan vs Union of India, protests, demonstrations and sit-ins at Jantar Mantar require prior permission from the competent authority. The police guidelines prescribe the 18th-century observatory for gatherings of up to 1,000 people, while larger protests are to be shifted to other designated sites. Applications for permission are required to be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi District, at least 10 days before the proposed event. For larger gatherings, the Delhi Police has designated Ramlila Maidan for protests involving between 1,000 and 50,000 people, while gatherings exceeding 50,000 are to be held at Burari. The apex court, in its July 2018 judgment, had held that peaceful protest is a fundamental right but also directed that a mechanism be put in place to regulate demonstrations and balance the rights of protesters with public order and the interests of residents. The CJP has formally intimated Delhi Police about its proposed October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar, with its co-convenor Saurav Das submitting an intimation letter at the Parliament Street police station.
The outfit has said thousands of people are expected to participate.
Protesters had also attempted to reach the site on earlier occasions amid heavy barricading and deployment of security personnel, with several of them being detained.
