The Jantar Mantar in Delhi has become a site of protest once again, this time for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The site has a rich history of hosting peaceful protests and has been a designated protest site since 1993.
The monument, an 18th-century astronomical observatory, was commissioned by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II and completed in 1724. It was used to study the movement of celestial bodies and calculate time, making it a unique scientific structure in the urban landscape.
Jantar Mantar has hosted several landmark movements, including the Anna Hazare anti-corruption agitation in 2011, which led to the formation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). It has also seen protests over women's safety laws, student and civil society movements, and farmer and ex-servicemen protests.
The site was briefly restricted in 2017 due to environmental concerns, but the Supreme Court restored protest rights in 2018. Today, it remains a key site for public protest in Delhi, with over 1,000 Delhi Police personnel deployed for the CJP's protest.
