Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the Election Commission over the past week, the public across the country has made it clear that they do not stand with the opposition on this issue. Rahul Gandhi has taken to the streets multiple times, and other opposition parties have made desperate efforts, but they have failed to generate the kind of momentum they anticipated. Instead, they find themselves entangled in their own game. Having planned a Jantar Mantar Part-2 protest, the entire scenario flipped, leaving no room for a protest at Jantar Mantar. Their political shop at Jantar Mantar has essentially been shut down, meaning if anyone wants to protest, they must head to Ramlila Ground or the outskirts of Delhi, as the justification for gathering at Jantar Mantar and creating a spectacle has vanished.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have permanently ensured that no one can create chaos in and around Parliament under the guise of protesting at Jantar Mantar. Opposition parties are currently fuming over the decision regarding Jantar Mantar. On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi committed a major political blunder that dragged the rest of the opposition down with him. By taking the matter directly to the Supreme Court, Rahul contradicted his own earlier stance that approaching the court was not his job. Trapped in his own political maneuvering, he was ultimately forced to approach the apex court.
Rahul Gandhi's original plan appeared to involve dragging the Supreme Court into his political arena much like the presidency, given that seeking an appointment with the Chief Justice for political reasons is something never heard of before. Everyone knew the Chief Justice would never agree to such a meeting, and even people within Congress questioned the necessity of dragging the judiciary into politics, suggesting that if anything needed to be done, a formal petition should be filed in the Supreme Court. Although Rahul initially resisted, he ultimately had to follow that exact path. However, the pressing question remains: once the matter is in the Supreme Court, what is the point of creating chaos on the streets? Whatever verdict the Supreme Court delivers will have to be accepted by all. Consequently, neither Rahul's street politics nor the opposition's protests will retain any relevance, though they still seem to believe that only street agitations can unseat Modi. Today, several disclosures and claims regarding this anarchic politics have come to light.
A Shocking Few Days for Modi Critics
The past two to three days have been extremely shocking for critics of Narendra Modi, as events turned out completely contrary to their expectations. Where they had planned to march to Jantar Mantar and spark a massive agitation with the entire nation joining in, none of that materialized. The public withheld its support, and instead grew increasingly angered by their daily theatrics. Citizens can clearly see the absurdity of taking to the streets to protest an agenda that has already failed and is currently being heard by the Supreme Court. People are asking the opposition parties that jumped into the fray whether every school has been fixed and whether the education system has been completely mended. They have effectively exposed themselves as actors running a targeted agenda against Modi.
The public has realized that this is simply an ecosystem of frustrated individuals who have repeatedly failed to defeat Narendra Modi in democratic elections and are now resorting to street chaos to remove him. Over the past two days, they have suffered severe setbacks, culminating in actions that effectively close down their political shop.
Major Blow to Opposition Parties
Opposition parties suffered their biggest blow when their leaders went to the Delhi Police to seek permission for a demonstration. They went to inquire about the date and time when they could begin their sit-in at Jantar Mantar, effectively issuing a 24-hour ultimatum to the Delhi Police. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs effectively locked down their agenda-driven shop at Jantar Mantar today.
Neither the opposition parties nor Rahul Gandhi will now be able to stage protests at Jantar Mantar, as the Home Ministry has officially removed Jantar Mantar from the list of designated protest sites. Consequently, no further demonstrations will take place at Jantar Mantar from now on. Instead, three specific locations have been designated for protests in Delhi: Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground, and CBD Ground. A committee constituted by the Home Ministry to ensure protestors receive appropriate venues recommended the de-notification of Jantar Mantar as a protest site.
Why Protests at Jantar Mantar Were Banned
Jantar Mantar is surrounded by several critical government offices and institutions in addition to the Parliament House, with the official residences of numerous members of parliament located nearby. Because of this, the protest site has always been considered highly sensitive. Due to the limited space available, the gatherings caused severe disruptions for the general public and posed difficulties for the protestors themselves. The Supreme Court has previously noted that alternative locations for protestors should be considered because the site lacks adequate infrastructure and space.
With Jantar Mantar removed from the list, the opposition parties are left with only three designated locations for demonstrations. While Ramlila Ground is relatively close to Parliament, the other two locations are situated at a distance. Without Jantar Mantar available as a protest venue, their entire planning for a Jantar Mantar Part-2 campaign has collapsed in an instant. Had they been permitted to create chaos at Jantar Mantar, it would have served as a gathering point for politicians seeking media attention and political footage.
