Supreme Court to hear a plea that de-notifying Jantar Mantar pushes dissent ‘out of sight, out of mind’
The Supreme Court is reviewing a petition challenging the de-notification of Jantar Mantar as a protest site. The petitioner argues that moving protests to the outskirts of Delhi undermines the democratic right to dissent.
Why it matters
This case addresses the balance between administrative order and the fundamental right to public assembly and expression.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday registered a petition challenging the de-notification of the iconic Jantar Mantar premises as a designated site of protest in the national capital. Rendering Jantar Mantar inaccessible will push dissent “out of sight and out of mind”, the plea said, noting that a protest carried out far from the earshot of ordinary citizens loses much of its practical impact.
The petition, which was filed by Swaty Singh through advocate Akanksha Mehra, was successfully registered and numbered on Wednesday (October 14, 2026). It has arraigned the Union government and the Delhi Police Commissioner as respondents.
The “right to protest is not merely a right to assemble at a designated physical space,” the petition said. “It is a right to communicate grievances, express dissent and draw the attention of the public authorities and society at large towards matters requiring redressal,” it added.
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