A planned march at Connaught Place in Delhi has triggered a police appeal against public gathering, while the organisers say a smaller group may assemble at Central Park on Friday to protest the alleged detention of two party coordinators.
The event, called the ‘Lahra Do Tiranga’ march, has been announced by Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). Dipke has asked people to gather at Central Park in Connaught Place carrying the national flag. The Aam Aadmi Party has also extended support to the march and appealed to its supporters and members of the public to attend.
The proposed gathering follows the CJP’s claim that its two co-conveners, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, were taken into custody by Delhi Police. The report does not include an independent police explanation for their alleged detention. Dipke, who is currently in Delhi, has also alleged on social media that plain-clothes police personnel were monitoring him and had surrounded the place where he was staying.
In a post shared by CJP policy lead Mehr Pasricha, she referred to Dipke’s allegation and criticised the Delhi Police by comparing the alleged surveillance with the failure to stop fugitive businessmen Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya from leaving India. Her remarks described Dipke as having no significant financial resources. The comments were made in response to Dipke’s social media post and are not an independent finding about police action.
Delhi Police has said that prohibitory orders are already in force in Connaught Place and surrounding areas. According to the report, the police have appealed to people not to assemble there in connection with the proposed march. The police may, however, permit a small group to hoist the national flag and sing the national anthem during the event.
The police have also said that participants must follow prescribed rules while displaying or carrying the national flag and while singing the anthem. They have stressed the need to maintain appropriate respect, dignity and decorum during these activities.
The restrictions place the proposed event within the routine administrative challenge of managing demonstrations in one of Delhi’s busiest commercial and public spaces. Connaught Place combines offices, retail areas, restaurants, transport links and pedestrian movement, making crowd control and access management significant considerations for the police. The report does not specify the size of the group that may be permitted or the exact operational arrangements planned for the march.
The dispute also comes amid renewed political attention around the event after the AAP backed the CJP’s call for supporters to gather. The CJP has linked the march to its opposition to the alleged detention of its coordinators, while the police position, as reported, is focused on the existing prohibitory orders and regulated use of the national flag and anthem.
The proposed march is scheduled for Friday at Central Park in Connaught Place. Any permission for a smaller gathering and the police deployment or restrictions around the venue will determine how the event proceeds.
