Delhi Police formally denotify Jantar Mantar and name three distant protest grounds

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The news

New Delhi. What is new is a formal order. Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar’s standing order, dated October 11 and made public on Monday, denotifies Jantar Mantar as a protest site and names Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground, East Delhi, instead. It follows a Home Ministry committee’s recommendation and partially modifies the standing order of April 28, 2022. Ramlila is about 4 km away; the papers put the other two between about 12 and over 26 km away. Per PTI (Indian Express), Ramlila Maidan is free this year only on December 29-31. In the Indian Express, Suhas Palshikar reads such “closures” as a call for “re-democratisation”.

Prelims nuggets

Article 19(1)(b) guarantees the right to assemble peaceably and without arms; Article 19(3) permits reasonable restrictions for sovereignty and integrity of India or public order.
Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan v Union of India (2018): areas may be earmarked for demonstrations; part of Jantar Mantar Road stayed open.
Himat Lal K. Shah (1972): prior permission is valid, but the State cannot ban assembly on every street or public place.