NEW DELHI, Oct. 16 -- Delhi Police personnel arrived at Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke's residence on Friday, hours before the organisation's proposed 'Lehra Do Tiranga' march at Connaught Place, amid heightened security and restrictions on public gatherings in the national capital.
The development came after Dipke alleged that police and intelligence personnel had been monitoring his movements and warned that he could be detained before the demonstration scheduled for 5 pm. The purpose of the police personnel's visit was not immediately clear, and there was no confirmation that Dipke had been detained. The CJP has called upon supporters to gather at Central Park in Connaught Place carrying the national flag as part of its continuing campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The proposed demonstration has prompted extensive security arrangements, with police and paramilitary personnel deployed across central Delhi. Addressing a press conference on Thursday night, Dipke alleged that vehicles without registration plates were following him and that Intelligence Bureau personnel were seeking information about his movements from the security guard outside his residence.
He claimed that the authorities were attempting to intimidate him ahead of the proposed march. "Delhi Police can detain me tonight or tomorrow morning, but I want to tell Narendra Modi that we are not going to be scared," he said. Dipke maintained that the CJP intended to hold a peaceful demonstration and questioned why carrying the national flag should invite police action. "If we have to go to jail to wave the Tiranga in this country, then we are ready for it," he said. A senior Delhi Police officer, however, said the police were monitoring the situation and that no specific security arrangement had been made outside any particular resident's house. The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has announced that Central Park, the proposed venue of the demonstration, will remain closed to the public on October 16 and 17 for administrative reasons.
The closure has intensified the confrontation between the CJP and authorities, with Dipke questioning whether public spaces would be shut wherever his organisation announced similar demonstrations. He said the CJP could organise Tricolour gatherings at multiple locations if the authorities continued restricting access to the designated venue. Delhi Police has urged people not to assemble at Central Park, citing prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. The police have indicated that a limited group could be permitted to wave the national flag and sing the national anthem at an alternative location. However, the authorities have not granted permission for the proposed mass gathering at Central Park. Security has been strengthened in Connaught Place, Rajiv Chowk, Jantar Mantar and adjoining areas ahead of the march. Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed at strategic locations, while barricades and additional surveillance arrangements have been introduced to regulate movement. Authorities have also made arrangements to respond to possible violations of prohibitory orders. The heightened deployment follows concerns expressed by traders and market associations that another large demonstration could disrupt commercial activity during the festive season. The CJP's earlier protests in central Delhi had resulted in detentions, traffic restrictions and confrontations with security personnel.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday declined to restrain the CJP from holding its proposed demonstration in Connaught Place. A Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma was hearing a petition filed by a street vendor from Palika Bazaar seeking measures to prevent disruption to business activities. The petitioner argued that a large gathering in the commercial district could affect traders, pedestrians and commuters. The court recorded the Delhi Police's assurance that it would take appropriate measures to maintain law and order. However, the court did not expressly grant permission for the gathering, leaving the police responsible for regulating the situation in accordance with the law. The matter is scheduled for further consideration on November 3.
The latest confrontation follows the arrest of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were sent to five days of judicial custody after allegedly violating peace bond conditions and entering Jantar Mantar, which is no longer a designated protest site. Dipke has criticised their arrests and called upon political parties, student organisations and civil society groups to join the campaign. The CJP has maintained that its principal demand is the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, whom it accuses of failing to address concerns surrounding the electoral-roll revision. The Election Commission has rejected allegations of partisan conduct and defended the revision exercise as necessary to ensure the accuracy of electoral rolls. With the demonstration scheduled for Friday evening, the arrival of police personnel at Dipke's residence has added to the uncertainty surrounding the proposed march. Whether the CJP will proceed with its gathering at Central Park despite the restrictions remains to be seen.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.