Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav and D. Raja have criticised the removal of Jantar Mantar’s designated protest-site status, with the INDIA bloc pledging to challenge the restrictions.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, October 13, 2026: Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday vowed to challenge the government’s decision to strip Jantar Mantar of its designated protest-site status, declaring that the INDIA bloc would fight to reclaim the iconic venue as a space for democratic dissent. His statement came hours after Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders were detained by Delhi Police for entering the barricaded site and unfurling the national flag.
Speaking to the media after hosting tea for INDIA bloc leaders and civil society representatives at his 5, Sunehri Bagh residence, the Leader of the Opposition said the restrictions would not deter the opposition’s campaign against the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
“One method of expression was Jantar Mantar, but now the government has decided not to allow it. We will challenge this,” Gandhi said.
READ: Amit Shah Hits Back at Rahul Gandhi Over SIR Protests, Cites Congress’s Election Losses
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— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 13, 2026
Emphasising opposition unity, he described the campaign as “one singular protest” aimed at restoring democracy. While expressing respect for the Supreme Court and the judiciary, Gandhi warned that those he held responsible for the situation, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “need to understand the net is closing around them.”
The opposition’s resolve to reclaim Jantar Mantar followed a dramatic confrontation at the site earlier on Tuesday. CJP leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde, accompanied by volunteers, climbed over an iron gate and barricades near the Janata Dal (United) office to enter the restricted area.
The group unfurled the Tiranga and raised slogans, including “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Gyanesh Kumar must resign”, before Delhi Police detained around 14 members. Their brief occupation was a direct challenge to the authorities’ move to restrict demonstrations at a venue that has long served as a focal point for political movements and civil society protests.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke described the action as an attempt to reclaim the protest site. In a social media post, he wrote that “Cockroaches with the Tiranga sneaked into Jantar Mantar early this morning” and declared, “You cannot denotify the resistance.”
Dipke later questioned whether unfurling the national flag had become a violation and vowed to continue the campaign until Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigned. He also warned that “Jantar Mantars will now emerge across the country.”
The detentions came a day after the authorities removed Jantar Mantar’s designated protest-site status and identified alternative venues, including Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi. The decision has drawn criticism from opposition leaders, who argue that shifting demonstrations away from the established venue restricts democratic expression.
INDIA bloc leaders Tejashwi Yadav and D. Raja also criticised the move during Gandhi’s interaction with the media and backed the demand to reclaim Jantar Mantar.
The confrontation has added a new dimension to the opposition’s campaign over the SIR exercise and its demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. The immediate question is whether the authorities will permit demonstrations at Jantar Mantar again or insist that protesters move to the alternative sites.
For the opposition, the fight over Jantar Mantar has become part of a larger struggle over the right to peaceful protest and the space available for dissent in the national capital.
