Delhi Police de-notifies Jantar Mantar as protest site; SC clarifies stand on Form 6

The Delhi Police officially de-notified Jantar Mantar as a designated venue for public demonstrations on Monday, removing one of the capital's oldest protest hubs from active public use. Under a standing order issued by Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar, the administration designated three alternative locations across the city for gatherings and political demonstrations.

The administrative overhaul follows recommendations submitted by a special committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The newly designated venues include Ramlila Ground in central Delhi, Burari Ground in northern Delhi, and CBD Ground located in eastern Delhi's Shahdara area. Police officials stated that separate standard operating procedures for organizing demonstrations at these three grounds will be released shortly.

The shifting of protest permissions coincides with intense political activity in the national capital, where opposition parties and campaign groups assembled to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral roll irregularities. Activists and political leaders criticized the de-notification of Jantar Mantar, arguing that shifting venues away from central Delhi isolates demonstrators from the immediate vicinity of Parliament and key government offices.

Simultaneously, proceedings inside the Supreme Court addressed separate controversies surrounding the election machinery. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana clarified that the apex court has neither approved nor disapproved the Election Commission of India's revised Form 6, which is utilized for voter registration.

Addressing a public interest litigation, Justice Bagchi noted that the modified version of Form 6 was not in existence when the court examined the special intensive revision of electoral rolls earlier this year. The bench rejected contentions that previous judicial observations could be interpreted as a formal endorsement of the poll panel's altered documentation.

The clarification came in response to submissions claiming that the poll panel had previously represented the modified statutory application as having received judicial validation. The Supreme Court emphasized that no formal application concerning the revised template had been adjudicated during earlier hearings, setting a formal hearing on the matter for October 27.

Political friction surrounding both administrative access to central Delhi and ongoing voter list revisions continues to draw scrutiny from civil society groups and opposition factions. Legal experts anticipate further challenges regarding the demarcation of public assembly rights as political parties prepare submissions for the upcoming hearings.