NEW DELHI, Oct 14 — For more than three decades, a stretch of road in central New Delhi was where Indians came to be heard, staging rallies to press their demands and hold those in power accountable.
Trade unions, retired soldiers, anti-corruption campaigners, women’s rights groups and student activists all protested beside the capital’s iconic 18th-century Jantar Mantar observatory, drawn by its location near the city’s commercial heart and the seat of political power.
But this week, the country’s most recognisable stage for public dissent officially lost its status as an authorised protest venue, prompting concerns among activists over shrinking democratic space.
“Jantar Mantar as a protest venue has been de-notified,” Delhi Police said in an order issued Monday, without providing a reason.
