Political activists detained after climbing locked gates of Jantar Mantar

Delhi Police detained key members of the Cockroach Janta Party on Tuesday morning after they scaled the locked gates of Jantar Mantar to stage a demonstration. Chief spokesperson Saurav Das and national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka entered the grounds alongside national organisation in-charge Ajinkya Shinde and a group of at least ten supporters carrying the national flag.

Protest Demands

The group carried the tricolor past the barriers and shouted slogans demanding the exit of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Ashutosh Ranka later posted a video from custody declaring that the demand for the election official's stepping down will be fulfilled from the site regardless of restrictions. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke criticized the police action online, stating that authorities cannot suppress public resistance and declaring that the entire nation will now serve as a protest ground.

Policy Change

This incident occurred just one day after authorities removed the location's status as an approved venue for public demonstrations. A police circular issued on Monday established three alternative locations in different parts of the city—Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground, and CBD Ground in Shahdara—following recommendations from a Ministry of Home Affairs committee. Jantar Mantar had previously hosted massive youth-led demonstrations led by the same political outfit earlier this year in June and July, which culminated in the exit of former education minister Dharmendra Pradhan amid testing controversies.

Context

Jantar Mantar has long served as the central hub for public demonstrations and political agitation in the national capital due to its proximity to key government buildings. Changes to designated public assembly areas often follow administrative reviews aimed at managing crowd control and maintaining traffic flow in densely populated urban zones.