Delhi Police reject CJP's Jantar Mantar protest permission, cite past violations

The Delhi Police declined permission for the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) to conduct a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on October 10, citing violations of past commitments made by the organization. According to police records, the organization had previously failed to adhere to undertakings given during earlier protests.

The denial followed a formal intimation letter submitted by CJP co-convener Saurav Das to Delhi Police on October 7. In the letter, Das had notified authorities of the planned demonstration and requested arrangements for law and order management as well as traffic coordination.

Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, organizations planning public gatherings in the national capital are required to submit prior notice to police. While the notification process does not mandate explicit permission, authorities can impose restrictions or deny requests if they believe the assembly poses risks to public order or if the organizing group has a history of flouting conditions.

The grounds cited by Delhi Police suggest a pattern of non-compliance by the organization in previous demonstrations. Such decisions have become increasingly common in the capital, where police conduct careful assessments of organizers' track records before granting clearance for public gatherings.

CJP, a Mumbai-based civil society organization known for activism on communal harmony and minority rights issues, has organized multiple demonstrations across Indian cities in recent years. The organization has not yet issued a formal response to the police decision.