Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Dipke in New Delhi ahead of a proposed ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ rally at Central Park in Connaught Place, citing restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the absence of permission for the event.
According to Live Hindustan – NCR, police personnel visited Dipke’s residence on Friday to serve him a notice. During the interaction, Dipke challenged the action and said the police had not shown any video in which he was allegedly encouraging violence. He also objected to the contents of the notice and questioned the basis for the restrictions.
Police later detained Dipke when he was leaving the residence of Anish Gawande, a spokesperson for the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), in New Delhi. The detention took place before the proposed rally scheduled for Saturday at Central Park in Connaught Place.
The police told Dipke that waving the national flag was not against the law. However, they said organising a march or gathering a crowd without permission, while restrictions were in force in the Connaught Place area, would be treated as a violation. The police also advised organisers to follow the rules under the Flag Code concerning the respectful use and display of the national flag.
The report said the New Delhi Municipal Council had not granted permission for the proposed Tiranga Yatra. Police warned that holding the rally in Connaught Place despite the lack of permission could lead to legal action under the restrictions imposed under Section 163.
Delhi Police issued two notices to Dipke. One notice, issued by the New Delhi district under the Delhi Police Act, directed him not to visit Central Park because of the restrictions in force under Section 163. The second notice was issued by the south-west Delhi district and referred to earlier action involving Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das.
The second notice reportedly mentioned that the three individuals had previously been detained at the airport and produced before a court. It also referred to a bond requiring them to maintain public peace for one year. The report did not provide further details about the earlier case or specify the duration of Dipke’s latest detention.
The action places the proposed rally within the wider administrative framework governing public gatherings in New Delhi. The police position, as reported, distinguishes between the lawful display of the national flag and the requirement to obtain permission for a march or crowd-gathering event in an area where restrictions are operational.
The immediate next step is whether organisers proceed with the proposed Central Park rally despite the lack of permission and the restrictions cited by Delhi Police. Any such action could prompt further police or administrative measures, according to the notice and warning described in the report.
