The Delhi Development Authority has cancelled the booking of the 12-acre CBD Ground in Karkardooma, Vishwas Nagar, after stating that the venue was booked for a social programme but was intended to host a protest and rally without the required Delhi Police permission.
The dispute concerns a proposed programme linked to the Special Intensive Revision issue. The DDA said the organisation that booked the ground had described the event as social, but its intended use was a protest. Under the authority’s stated procedure, the CBD Ground cannot be booked for a protest without permission from the law-enforcement agencies, including the Delhi Police.
The CBD Ground is under the administrative control of the DDA. The authority said the booking was therefore cancelled because the organisers had not obtained the necessary permission before seeking to use the premises for a demonstration. It added that bookings for other social programmes are processed according to the applicable guidelines.
The DDA’s decision comes amid preparations for a Congress rally proposed at Ramlila Maidan on 1 November over the Special Intensive Revision issue. Traders have raised concerns about the effect of the proposed rally on the sale of festive goods during the Diwali period, according to the report.
The two venues are governed through different civic arrangements. Ramlila Maidan, located on Asaf Ali Road near the Civic Centre, is booked through the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The MCD’s stated procedure is to process bookings for protests and rallies only after the organisers obtain permission from the Delhi Police.
According to the MCD, Congress has booked Ramlila Maidan for a period reported as running from 25 to 3 October. The supplied report does not clarify the year or the apparent date sequence in that booking period, while separately identifying 1 November as the proposed date of the rally.
The DDA also rejected allegations that it cancelled the CBD Ground booking while demanding the prescribed booking fee or other amounts from the organisers. The authority described those allegations as baseless, misleading and without foundation.
The episode highlights the administrative distinction between booking a public venue for a social event and securing permission to conduct a protest or rally. While the DDA controls the CBD Ground and the MCD manages Ramlila Maidan, permission from the police remains a stated requirement for using either venue for a demonstration. The next step is for organisers to meet the relevant permission requirements before any protest booking can proceed.
