Govt. move to de-notify Jantar Mantar follows SC suggestion that protest sites need more space, open air

Just three days before the Delhi Police de-notified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site on October 12, 2026, both the Supreme Court and the Union government were advocating for an alternative location to "peacefully and lawfully" express dissent in the capital. Both bodies had noted that central Delhi's crowded conditions made it inconvenient for protesters, denying them basic amenities like washrooms, medical facilities, and drinking water.

On October 9, the Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant urged the government to identify a "spacious, open" alternative site. This came after the court heard petitions challenging the government's move to restrict access into and within the national capital, which was set to disrupt youth protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The October 9 order stated that all parties, including petitioners, supported finding a new protest site with adequate facilities. The court had previously suggested this in August, when it was considering a petition for the discontinuation of Jantar Mantar as the primary protest venue and the designation of Ramlila Maidan or another large ground as the principal protest venue.

The 2018 "golden rule" of the court held that the right to protest must be balanced with the right of residents to live peacefully, and in 2020, the court emphasized that protester rights must coexist with commuter rights in mutual respect.