Hours after police served a notice at his place of stay barring any rally at Connaught Place, Abhijeet Dipke proceeded with the planned Lehra Do Tiranga event. He was taken into custody as security forces maintained a heavy deployment and Central Park remained closed to the public.
BY PC Bureau
lt the New Delhi, October 16, 2026: Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke at Connaught Place’s Central Park after he proceeded with the planned “Lehra Do Tiranga” (Let the Tricolour Fly) gathering despite repeated warnings. Delhi High court had rejected a petition to halt the protest.
Authorities said the event lacked the required permission and that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were in force in the area.
Police earlier served Dipke a formal notice at the residence, barring any demonstration, procession or rally in the vicinity of Connaught Place. The notice cited public statements and social media calls for the 5 pm assembly without lawful permission. It highlighted risks of traffic obstruction, congestion at a busy commercial hub with limited entry and exit points, potential stampede hazards, and disruption to businesses and emergency services.
Connaught Place is not a designated protest site. The New Delhi Municipal Council had already closed Central Park to the public on October 16 and 17 for administrative reasons, and police planned barricades at entry points while keeping inner and outer circles open for regular movement.
In a livestreamed interaction earlier in the day, Dipke challenged the restrictions, saying the group was not staging a conventional protest but simply intending to wave the national flag. “Humne to bola nahi protest karenge… hum toh Tiranga lehrayenge. Woh be allowed nahi hai?” (“We didn’t say we will protest… we will just wave the Tricolour. Is that not allowed either?”), he asked officers. He repeatedly questioned whether displaying the Tiranga was unlawful and stated he was prepared to face detention or jail for the act. Police personnel responded that the flag was the country’s pride but emphasized compliance with orders and public safety. Dipke later signed related documents after initially refusing, adding a note.
The “Lehra Do Tiranga” call was announced by Dipke earlier in the week as a response to the detention and five-day judicial custody of CJP co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. The two were arrested after entering the locked gates at Jantar Mantar on October 13—following the site’s denotification as a designated protest venue—while waving the Tricolour and raising slogans. Police described the entry as trespass and alleged violations of earlier peace bonds.
🚨 BREAKING: Delhi Police detains Abhijeet Dipke from Central Park
Despite NO permission and Sec 163 in force, he was heading to stage protest at CP
Exactly the treatment he deserved 🔥
Law will take its course. https://t.co/eVLQ6nGD5C
— Gaurav (@k_gauravs) October 16, 2026
Another associate was released on bond. Dipke has framed the Central Park gathering as a symbolic assertion that waving the national flag is not a crime and as part of broader demands related to the Chief Election Commissioner over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. He has distanced the CJP from any “regime change” narrative, stating the focus is on the Election Commissioner’s removal and an independent process.
#BREAKING
Dipke signs Delhi Police notice over proposed ‘Tiranga Yatra’ in Connaught Place
Abhijeet Dipke signed a notice served by Delhi Police warning that Section 163 is in force in Connaught Place. The notice states that the NDMC has not granted permission for the proposed ‘Tiranga Yatra’ and warns proceeding with the march could invite legal action
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) October 16, 2026
This is the latest in a series of confrontations. On October 10, Dipke, Das and Ranka were detained inside an aircraft upon landing in Delhi ahead of an earlier protest call, leading to preventive action under BNSS provisions. They were later released with conditions to maintain peace. Delhi High Court had declined to issue an injunction restraining the October 16 event, recording police assurances of comprehensive crowd-management measures, with further hearings scheduled.
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Heavy security deployments, including thousands of personnel, were in place across central Delhi and Connaught Place. Police had warned that any violation of the prohibitory orders could attract legal action for disobedience of a duly promulgated order. Dipke maintained that citizens should be free to display the Tricolour without permission and accused authorities of restricting a fundamental patriotic expression.
The detention underscores ongoing tensions between the CJP’s mobilisation efforts and law-enforcement measures aimed at preventing unauthorised assemblies in sensitive, high-traffic zones. Further updates on the status of others involved and any subsequent proceedings are awaited.
