Congress gets Delhi Police nod for Ramlila Maidan rally amid SIR protests

A No Objection Certificate (NOC) has been issued to the Congress for a rally at Ramlila Maidan, said Delhi Police on Saturday.

A No Objection Certificate (NOC) has been issued to the Congress for a rally at Ramlila Maidan, said Delhi Police on Saturday.

Speaking to ANI, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Central Rohit Rajbir Singh said the ground will be booked from October 25 to November 3.

This follows Jantar Mantar being de-notified as a designated venue for organising protests and demonstrations in Delhi. The Delhi Police has designated three alternative locations for holding such activities. The three new designated protest venues are Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in East Delhi.

The DCP said that the Congress first asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) about availability, which said the ground would be free from October 25 to November 3. "The MCD stated that the venue would be available from October 25 to November 3. After receiving the venue availability certificate, the Congress party approached us," he said.

"After interacting with them and understanding the security arrangements required, we decided to grant them the No Objection Certificate (NOC). We issued it today. They will now take the certificate back to the MCD, which is the owning agency responsible for the land, and then begin their preparations. The ground will be booked from October 25 to November 3," he added.

DCP Singh further said that any other stakeholder or organiser wanting to book the ground may also follow the same process.

The Congress's proposed rally comes amid a broader row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which has escalated over the weeks as multiple protests erupted in the national capital led by INDIA Bloc and activists. The opposition camp has been demanding the roll-back of SIR and resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The protests also witnessed a police crackdown as over a hundred of demonstrators were detained amid heightened security in central Delhi. Congress has been staging continuous protests against the CEC, with INDIA Bloc allies joining the chorus.

Amidst this, Jantar Mantar was de-notified as the protest site, days after the proposed Cockroach Janata Party-led protest in the capital saw heavy police crackdown. CJP activists Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were also detained on October 10 and later released after being produced before the Executive Magistrate on October 11.

Das, Ranka and others were later arrested for allegedly trespassing at Jantar Mantar.

Later, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to five days of judicial custody on October 14 following their detention, party member Ajinkya Shinde said, asserting that the activists would not be intimidated by the action.

Following this, Delhi Police detained Dipke on Friday to prevent him from leading the scheduled 'Lehra Do Tiranga' rally at Central Park in Connaught Place. Authorities invoked Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), imposing strict prohibitory orders against public assemblies in Central Delhi. Dipke has been granted bail in Delhi, subject to certain conditions, Delhi Police said.