Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Ramlila Maidan, one of the three new venues designated for protests and demonstrations in Delhi, has no free dates for the next two and a half months, with only December 29, 30 and 31 available for booking, officials said. The 12-acre ground can accommodate around 50,000 people, but at present it can be booked only for those three dates at the end of the year.
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THREE NEW PROTEST SITES IN DELHI
The development comes a day after Delhi Police de-notified Jantar Mantar and named Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in east Delhi as the new protest sites in a standing order issued by Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar on October 11. Police have said a detailed and revised standard operating procedure for protests at the three venues will be issued separately.
BOOKING COSTS RS 1.21 LAKH FOR A DAY
Officials said the booking rate for Ramlila Maidan is Rs 50,000 per day, along with a refundable security deposit of Rs 55,000. “The booking rate for the ground is Rs 50,000 per day, plus a Rs 55,000 security deposit that is refundable. The initial outlay including taxes comes to Rs 1.21 lakh for a day’s booking,” an official said. Civic officials, however, said a small portion of the ground is available free for protests and gatherings, though it can accommodate only 150 people.
The ground is booked through the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s horticulture department, which grants the permission. A no-objection certificate from Delhi Police is mandatory before the civic body clears an application. According to protesters, the cost makes entry to Ramlila Maidan steep for organisations or resident groups planning a demonstration, unlike Jantar Mantar, where no such payment was required. “If given up for protest without any fees, the civic body will stand to lose at least Rs 50,000 plus per day,” an official said.
AAP QUESTIONS AVAILABILITY OF PROTEST VENUE
AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj also raised the issue on X. “Govt. played another fraud with its citizens. The Ramleela Maidan is occupied with two Ramleelas,” he said. “How can one hold a protest here? Do they want to create chaos?” he asked. Civic officials said the ground is already booked for various programmes and festivities, with major festivals including Dussehra and Diwali due in the coming weeks.
TRAFFIC CONCERNS AROUND RAMLILA MAIDAN
Officials said the maidan is in a busy commercial area, with three hospitals and the headquarters of the municipal corporations nearby. They said large events there have long strained surrounding roads, with police usually turning the two-way Asaf Ali Road into a one-way stretch and diverting traffic headed for Deshbandhu Gupta Road to the parallel Jawaharlal Nehru Marg. Both roads are already crowded and encroached upon, officials said. One official recalled that a BJP rally at the venue in 2014 caused a gridlock till ITO, nearly 4 km away, even though it was a Sunday and traffic was light.
FROM A POND TO A MAJOR PUBLIC GATHERING GROUND
According to officials, the history of the maidan began with water. Until 1930, it was a pond, which was later filled and levelled so that Ramlila could be staged there. The tradition began in 1932 and continues today, giving the ground its name. After Independence, in 1951, the area was developed to provide livelihoods to refugees who had arrived from Pakistan.
Over the decades, the ground became a major political stage. In 1952, Syama Prasad Mookerjee launched his satyagraha there demanding the complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir into the Indian Union. Jawaharlal Nehru addressed large public meetings at the maidan in 1956 and 1957 as prime minister, and a permanent stage was built in 1962 for a public event in honour of Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to India. Indira Gandhi addressed a rally there after the 1971 victory over Pakistan, and a public meeting was held on November 26, 1974, in honour of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. On June 25, 1975, the day the Emergency was declared, Jayaprakash Narayan and Atal Bihari Vajpayee addressed a rally at the ground. In 2013, Arvind Kejriwal took oath as chief minister at the same venue.
For now, even as Ramlila Maidan has been named among Delhi’s new protest venues, the full ground remains unavailable for most of the next two and a half months, with only three dates open, a paid booking system in place and a small free section that can hold 150 people.
– Ends
With PTI inputs
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
