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The Delhi authorities must immediately release Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who have been remanded to five days of judicial custody after trying to protest at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday. Their arrests, following the removal of the site\u2019s designation<\/a> as an authorized protest venue, raise serious concerns about shrinking space for peaceful protest and dissent in India.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to a post on X by CJP\u2019s legal head, Ratna Singh,<\/a> Das and Ranka were remanded to judicial custody on Wednesday. Party member Ajinkya Shinde, who was also detained, was released on a personal bond of INR 5,000 (USD 55). A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Das and Ranka under provisions relating to breach of bond, criminal trespass and disobedience of orders, among other charges. Shinde was also placed under preventive arrest before being released.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe authorities cannot claim to protect the right to protest while denotifying established protest sites and arresting people who attempt to use them. Peaceful assemblies should not be limited to a few designated sites. Rather, public spaces must remain available for people to peacefully assemble, challenge those in power, demand accountability, and make their grievances heard. Authorities cannot use the criminal justice system to punish people for exercising their right to peaceful assembly. We call for the immediate release of the CJP leaders and an end to the crackdown on peaceful dissent,\u201d said Aakar Patel, Chair of Board, Amnesty International India.\u00a0<\/p>\n Public spaces must remain available for people to peacefully assemble, challenge those in power, demand accountability, and make their grievances heard<\/p>\n Aakar Patel, Chair of Board, Amnesty International India<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Jantar Mantar has long provided people from all walks of life, including workers, students and activists, a platform to bring grievances directly to public attention. Its importance lies not only in its capacity to accommodate gatherings, but in its accessibility and proximity to political institutions like the Parliament house.\u00a0<\/p>\n On 12 October, Delhi Police officially removed Jantar Mantar from the list of legal, permitted areas for public protests and demonstrations. According to the Delhi police, this was done after a Supreme Court direction concerning alternative protest venues. Authorities identified venues like Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as alternatives. However, naming replacement venues does not adequately guarantee the effective exercise of the right to peaceful assembly. Their accessibility, location, and ability for protesters to assemble within sight and sound of their intended audience are essential considerations. Moreover, as the UN Human Rights Committee has emphasized, \u201cpeaceful assemblies may in principle be conducted in all spaces to which the public \u2026 should have access.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Articles 19(1)(a) and 19(1)(b)<\/a> of the Indian Constitution protects freedom of expression and the right to assemble peacefully and without arms. Although reasonable restrictions are permitted on specified grounds, including public order, authorities do not have unrestricted discretion to exclude peaceful demonstrations from public spaces.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan v. Union of India (2018)<\/a>, the Supreme Court recognized the need to balance protesters\u2019 rights with the interests of residents and other users of public space. Regulation must seek to accommodate competing interests, not impose arbitrary or blanket prohibitions.\u00a0<\/p>\n International human rights law reinforces these protections. Articles 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) safeguard the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The prohibition of protests at Jantar Mantar comes amid a broader police crackdown on demonstrations over electoral-roll revisions and demands for accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n