The detention of key organisers did not stop the “Lehra Do Tiranga” demonstrations, with protesters waving the tricolor and raising patriotic slogans at Connaught Place and Mandi House.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, October 16, 2026: Detentions and a massive security clampdown failed to stop the “Lehra Do Tiranga” protests, as protsters in batches of hundreds waved the Tricolour and raised slogans at Connaught Place and Mandi House on Friday evening. The flash protests erupted despite the detention of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke and AISA president Neha Bora ahead of the planned march.
The demonstrations came in response to the CJP’s call for a “Lehra Do Tiranga” (Wave the Tricolour) gathering at Connaught Place’s Central Park at 5 pm. The protesters demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a rollback of the exercise and withdrawal of the 2023 law governing the appointment of election commissioners.
The protest call also sought to condemn the arrest and five-day judicial custody of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who had entered the denotified Jantar Mantar protest site carrying the national flag.
Dipke, Neha Bora Detained Before Protest
Delhi Police had denied permission for the gathering, citing prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), as well as concerns over public safety, traffic disruption and inconvenience to traders and commuters. Central Park was closed to the public on Friday and Saturday.
Security arrangements were extensive, with reports citing more than 6,000 Delhi Police personnel, additional Central Armed Police Forces, barricades, CCTV surveillance and traffic restrictions. Connaught Place was effectively transformed into a high-security zone ahead of the proposed gathering to unfurl the tricolor in Central park.
Earlier in the day, more than 20 police personnel reportedly visited Dipke’s place of stay in Jhandewalan and served him notices under the Delhi Police Act, directing him not to organise the gathering or visit Central Park.
Dipke was detained as he set out for the protest venue. Police reportedly told him that Section 163 was in force and that he could not proceed with the gathering. He was taken to Jafarpur Kalan police station.
Neha Bora was separately detained at Mandi House as she and other AISA members began moving with national flags. The detentions led to jostling among supporters, journalists and security personnel.
READ: ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ Protest: Abhijeet Dipke Taken into Custody
Protesters at Palika Bazaar demand the restoration of Jantar Mantar as a protest site.
#CP #flagmarch #CJP https://t.co/31mNI00Aq9— swarna (@Jha_Swarnaa) October 16, 2026
Flash Protests Despite Heavy Deployment
The detention of the organisers failed to prevent protesters from assembling in smaller groups across central Delhi. CJP supporters, members of AISA and other student organisations, along with some Aam Aadmi Party workers, gathered at Connaught Place and Mandi House waving th tricolor and raising slogans.
At Connaught Place, hundreds of demonstrators moved through the inner circle, intermittently raising “Jai Hind” slogans, singing the national anthem and waving the Tricolor. Groups dispersed and regrouped as police personnel attempted to prevent a sustained gathering.
Similar demonstrations took place around Mandi House, where, waving the tricolor, students demanded the CEC’s resignation and electoral reforms. Minor altercations were reported as police moved to disperse protesters.
A senior police officer said the situation remained largely peaceful and that the priority was to maintain law and order and ensure smooth traffic movement. Police also indicated that peaceful demonstrators would not necessarily be detained.
Protest Over SIR and Election Commission
The “Lehra Do Tiranga” mobilisation forms part of a wider campaign against the Election Commission’s SIR exercise and what the organisers describe as threats to democratic rights.
The protesters have questioned the conduct of the revision exercise and demanded accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. They have also called for the withdrawal of the 2023 law governing appointments to the Election Commission, arguing that the selection process requires greater independence and transparency.
The campaign has intensified following police action against CJP leaders at Jantar Mantar, whose status as a designated protest site was withdrawn. The detention and judicial custody of Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka had prompted Dipke to call for the Tricolour demonstration as a show of resistance.
AISA national president Neha Bora was detained by Delhi Police at Mandi House while heading towards Connaught Place for the ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ protest.
The detention comes amid heavy police deployment and restrictions in central Delhi ahead of the CJP-backed Tiranga march.
Follow DeKoder for more updates.#NehaBora #DelhiPolice #Protest #CJP #DelhiProtest #LehraDoTiranga #AISA #ECI #SIR #GyaneshKumar
— DeKoder (@DeKoderAI) October 16, 2026
While activists and opposition supporters have framed the protests as a defence of democratic freedoms and the right to assemble and display the national flag, Delhi Police have cited public-order requirements and concerns arising from previous incidents involving the group.
Traders in Connaught Place have also expressed concerns about repeated restrictions and their impact on business in the commercial district.
As of Friday evening, Dipke and Bora were reported to remain in preventive custody, with further details about their status awaited.
The day’s events underscored the continuing confrontation between protesters demanding electoral accountability and the Delhi Police’s efforts to prevent unauthorised gatherings in the national capital. Despite the detention of prominent organisers and a heavy security deployment, demonstrators managed to stage brief, dispersed protests, keeping the dispute over SIR and the right to protest in public view.
