The Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke and student leader Neha Bora on Thursday, October 16, ahead of the party’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ event in Connaught Place. Dipke was detained while heading towards Connaught Place to attend the gathering, scheduled for 5 pm at Central Park. Bora was detained shortly after beginning her march from Mandi House.
Police personnel stopped Dipke as he stepped out of the house where he was staying and walked towards the street. After a brief exchange, officers took him away in a police vehicle. In a video shared by news agency ANI, a police official can be heard telling Dipke that he was being taken into preventive detention under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which was in force in Connaught Place.
Dipke argued that he had not violated any law and asked the police to suggest an alternative venue for the gathering.
Earlier, the Delhi Police had served him a notice asking him to call off the event, citing concerns over traffic congestion, public safety and inconvenience to traders and commuters in the busy commercial district. Dipke acknowledged the notice but did not agree to cancel the march.
The event was called to protest the arrests and continued judicial custody of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. The two were arrested after allegedly crossing barricades and entering Jantar Mantar, where they raised slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Their arrests followed the Delhi Police’s decision to withdraw Jantar Mantar’s status as a designated protest site. The move came after recommendations by a Union Home Ministry committee and observations by a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant.
The police have designated Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as alternative venues for public protests in the capital. Critics of the decision have argued that restricting access to Jantar Mantar could distance demonstrations from key institutions in central Delhi.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear challenges to the withdrawal of Jantar Mantar’s status as a designated protest site on Thursday. Ahead of the march, Dipke appealed to political parties and civil society groups to set aside ideological differences and join the campaign. The party has alleged irregularities in electoral rolls during the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Addressing a press conference earlier, Dipke said he was prepared to face arrest for participating in the demonstration. “If one has to go to jail for waving the tricolour in this country, then we are ready for it,” he said. The proposed gathering comes amid an ongoing dispute between the CJP and the Delhi Police over the right to protest at Jantar Mantar and the arrests of the party’s leaders.
