Jantar Mantar closed to protests, three new sites fixed; INDIA bloc leaders object

The Union Home Ministry has banned agitations at Jantar Mantar and designated three other sites in its place. The new sites are Ramlila Maidan, Burari Maidan and the CBD ground in East Delhi. Leaders of the INDIA bloc have opposed the Centre's decision. They said it showed the Central government was rattled.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said the party's decision would be final. Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said it was clear that the Central government was scared. According to him, the government wanted to suppress the voice of the people, but in a democracy the voice of the people could never be suppressed. Hooda said their agitation would continue.

Congress MP Imran Masood, taking a swipe after Jantar Mantar was dropped from the list of protest sites, said that they would now go to the top of the Himalayas and protest there.

CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said that if a site fixed for protests for so many years was shut down so suddenly, every city and every corner of the country would now become Jantar Mantar. He said they would not step back until Gyanesh Kumar resigned.

Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi said they were fighting to save democracy. According to him, Rahul Gandhi had made it clear that this was a fight to protect democracy and make the election system transparent. He said they would go to every crossing and every corner that defined democracy, and the Supreme Court was one of those pillars.

Leader of the Opposition in Bihar Tejashwi Yadav also opposed the decision. He said he had been the first to begin the fight against the SIR and that it had begun from Bihar. According to Tejashwi, the whole truth had now come out. He said democracy was under attack and was being trampled underfoot, so he would not sit silent.

Congress MP Rajeev Shukla said they had moved ahead and filed petitions in line with what the CJI had said. He said he had faith in the court. Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said the agitation had been going on for several days. According to him, the issue had been in discussion across the country ever since Rahul Gandhi first raised the SIR at Indira Gandhi Bhawan.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said the BJP was rattled. According to him, the BJP knew it would not hold power for much longer, and was therefore now taking decisions of its own liking.