After Jantar Mantar De-Notification, Congress Gets Nod For Ramlila Maidan Rally Amid SIR Row

The Delhi Police has issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the Congress for a rally at Ramlila Maidan, amid the ongoing dispute over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The ground will be booked from October 25 to November 3.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Rohit Rajbir Singh told ANI that the approval was granted after the party obtained a venue availability certificate. The development comes after Jantar Mantar was de-notified as a designated site for protests and demonstrations in Delhi.

Police have since identified Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi as alternative venues for protests.

The Congress rally comes amid growing protests over the SIR, with Opposition parties and activists demanding that the exercise be rolled back and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign.

Venue Approval Process

The process began with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which informed the Congress that Ramlila Maidan would be available from October 25 to November 3.

Singh told ANI that the party approached the police after receiving the venue availability certificate from the civic body.

"The MCD stated that the venue would be available from October 25 to November 3. After receiving the venue availability certificate, the Congress party approached us," he said.

"After interacting with them and understanding the security arrangements required, we decided to grant them the No Objection Certificate (NOC). We issued it today. They will now take the certificate back to the MCD, which is the owning agency responsible for the land, and then begin their preparations. The ground will be booked from October 25 to November 3," he added.

Singh said other stakeholders or organisers seeking to book the ground could follow the same procedure.

Protests And Detentions

The SIR row has intensified in recent weeks, with the INDIA Bloc and activists leading protests in the capital. Opposition parties have demanded that the exercise be rolled back and Gyanesh Kumar step down as chief election commissioner.

More than 100 demonstrators were detained amid heightened security in central Delhi, while the Congress has continued its protests against the CEC with support from INDIA Bloc allies.

The change in designated protest venues followed the de-notification of Jantar Mantar, days after a proposed protest led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) in Delhi saw a heavy police crackdown.

CJP activists Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained on October 10 and released after being produced before the Executive Magistrate on October 11. Das, Ranka and others were later arrested for allegedly trespassing at Jantar Mantar.

On October 14, Das and Ranka were sent to five days of judicial custody, according to party member Ajinkya Shinde, who said the activists would not be intimidated by the action.

Delhi Police detained Dipke on Friday to prevent him from leading the scheduled 'Lehra Do Tiranga' rally at Central Park in Connaught Place. Authorities invoked Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), imposing prohibitory orders on public assemblies in central Delhi.

Dipke has since been granted bail in Delhi, subject to certain conditions, Delhi Police said.