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Ramlila Maidan, Jantar Mantar’s alternative, saw just 4 protest bookings in 3 years
Political parties have maintained a distance from the historic assembly ground.
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The historic Ramlila Maidan, which has been the site for key political rallies and agitations in the past decades, saw only 27 bookings in the last three years, out of which only four were for protests and demonstrations, data from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) showed.
The ground was booked nine times over these three years for political rallies and public meetings. The MCD manages the 10-acre ground, half of which is utilised for parking while the remaining half is currently booked for hosting the upcoming Ramlila fair.
According to the MCD, the ground was booked 27 times between January 2024 and September 2026. The four bookings for which the purpose was mentioned as peaceful protest were made by LIC agents in March 2025 and the Shikshak Shikshika Adhikar Manch in July 2025 among others.
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Political parties have maintained a distance from the historic assembly ground. The MCD report showed nine bookings for political rallies were made by the People's Party of India, Communist Party of India, Akhil Bharatiya Bishnoi Mahasabha, National Conference in the last three years. The ground was also booked once each by the Aam Aadmi Party in March 2024 and All India Congress Committee in December 2025.
Under existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for agitations and demonstrations in the national capital, protests with estimated footfalls between 1,000-50,000 should be held at the Ramlila ground even though the venue has not been taken up by the agitating groups.
Over the decades, Ramlila Maidan has been an important venue for the country's political history. From multiple gatherings headed by former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1956 and 1957 to a permanent stage being built for a public event in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, who was visiting India, anti corruption movement headed by Anna Hazare – the space has served as venue for iconic rallies and public gathering
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Located around 4km from Jantar Mantar, Ramlila Maidan is the closest of the three newly designated protest venues to Lutyens’ Delhi and has a long history of hosting political rallies and public agitations.
But access to the ground comes at a cost, and its availability will be severely limited during the festive season. A senior MCD official said booking the 12-acre venue costs ₹50,000 a day, along with a refundable security deposit of ₹55,000. Applicants must also obtain a no-objection certificate from the Delhi Traffic Police.
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“Half the maidan is used for parking by heavy vehicles and the remaining half is open for booking. We do not offer a small section or parts of Ramlila Ground to be booked. People can only book the entire section,” the official said, seeking anonymity.
The requirement to book it could prove a hurdle for smaller groups that do not need such a large space. Unlike the tree-lined stretch at Jantar Mantar, the open maidan also offers little shade, potentially making prolonged demonstrations difficult in hot weather.
