Political parties in Delhi welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to lift the blanket ban on protests at Boat Club near India Gate and Jantar Mantar, which used to be sites for demonstrations.
Jantar Mantar had been the site of protests for decades until the National Green Tribunal ruled on October 5, 2017 to end all dharnas there due to the pollution caused.
Before that, the Boat Club was the centre of protests, but the demonstrations were moved to Jantar Mantar in the early 1990s.
Reacting to the Supreme Court’s decision on Monday, the Aam Aadmi Party, the BJP and the Congress all welcomed the move.
AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet: “I welcome the Hon’ble Supreme Court verdict upholding peaceful right to protest in central Delhi. Attempts to convert Delhi into a police state is dangerous for democracy and rightly struck down by Hon’ble Supreme Court [sic].”
AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj added in a tweet that the party welcomed the decision, which was a “victory of people’s rights”.
Near seat of power
Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari too came out in support, saying in a statement that people had the right to protest near the seat of power and that both locations had garnered recognition as the spots for such protests.
The Delhi Congress also welcomed the decision, terming it a victory for democracy.
In a statement, Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken said if people did not have the right to raise their voice near the seats of power — the Parliament and key Central government offices — then it would amount to “stifling the voice of the people”.