A writ petition has been filed before the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi Police’s decision to withdraw Jantar Mantar’s status as a designated protest venue, contending that shifting demonstrations to distant locations could substantially undermine citizens’ fundamental rights to freedom of speech and expression and peaceful assembly.
Filed by advocate Swaty Singh, the petition assails the Standing Order dated October 11, 2026, under which Jantar Mantar was de-notified as an authorised protest site and three alternative venues were designated for demonstrations: Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi.
The petitioner has argued that the right to protest cannot be reduced to the mere availability of a physical space for assembling. The location of a demonstration, the plea states, is integral to its purpose, as proximity to government institutions, accessibility to the public and visibility to the intended audience determine whether citizens can effectively communicate their grievances.
According to the petition, relocating protests to distant or peripheral areas could impose additional logistical and financial burdens on demonstrators while weakening their ability to draw the attention of the authorities concerned. It contends that a protest venue must be assessed not merely by its formal designation but also by its practical accessibility and suitability for meaningful public participation.
The plea further challenges the decision on the ground that the Standing Order de-notifies the existing venue with immediate effect while leaving the detailed Standard Operating Procedures governing access to the three newly designated sites to be issued separately.
This, the petitioner argues, creates uncertainty over the mechanism through which citizens can exercise their right to protest. The absence
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