NEW DELHI, 15 Oct: The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) staged a march here on Thursday to reclaim Jantar Mantar as a democratic space for the people to organise protests.

Participating in the march, IYC national general secretary Tarh Johny said that the right to peaceful protest, dissent and democratic expression must be protected in a democracy.

"Jantar Mantar must remain accessible to ordinary citizens and must not become a symbol of restrictions on democratic dissent," he said.

"Jantar Mantar belongs to the people of India. It is not the property of any government or political party. We are here to reclaim it as a democratic space where citizens can raise their voice, question those in power and demand accountability without fear," Johny said.

He said democracy does not end with elections. "The right to assemble peacefully, express dissent and hold governments accountable is central to India's constitutional and democratic tradition," he added.

Johny said the IYC would continue to stand with young people and citizens raising issues concerning employment, education, electoral transparency, social justice, constitutional rights and the future of the country.

"We will not surrender democratic spaces to fear. We will reclaim Jantar Mantar with the Constitution in our hands, the tricolour in our hearts and the voice of the people on our lips," he said, and called upon the authorities to ensure that peaceful protesters are treated with dignity, lawful assemblies are facilitated rather than suppressed, and Jantar Mantar continues to function as a genuine democratic platform for public expression.