A proposed Delhi protest by Cockroach Janata Party leader Abhijeet Dipke on October 10 has drawn a warning from Delhi Police, which said gatherings would not be permitted at Jantar Mantar or elsewhere in the capital while prohibitory restrictions under Section 163 remain in force.
Dipke said on Friday that he would travel to Delhi and march to Jantar Mantar despite the restrictions. In a post on X, he alleged that thousands of young people had been detained across the country ahead of the demonstration and accused the BJP government of attempting to intimidate protesters. These detention claims were made by Dipke and were not independently established in the report.
Deputy commissioner of police Shrishti Pandey said the restrictions covered both Jantar Mantar and other locations in the national capital. She said any gathering during the period would be considered illegal and could lead to legal action.
“Section 163 is in effect, meaning protests are not permitted—neither at Jantar Mantar nor anywhere else. Any gathering will be considered illegal, and we would be compelled to take necessary legal action against it,” Pandey told news agency ANI.
The police warning places the proposed demonstration within Delhi’s wider system of regulating assemblies in public spaces. Jantar Mantar is a designated protest location, but access to it remains subject to permissions and restrictions imposed by the authorities. In this case, the police statement said the prohibition applied to the venue as well as other locations across the capital.
Pandey also appealed to potential participants not to attend the proposed demonstration. She urged protesters to prioritise their own safety and consider the safety of their families. The warning indicates that police intend to treat any gathering during the restriction period as unauthorised rather than as a permitted protest at an established demonstration site.
Dipke, however, said he would proceed with the march “come what may”. His announcement came after he shared updates from a recent visit to Bengaluru, where he thanked people who had hosted him, including actor Prakash Raj and others. Those posts were separate from the Delhi protest announcement.
The immediate issue for Delhi residents and commuters is whether participants attempt to gather at Jantar Mantar or another location on October 10. The police have not, in the supplied statement, announced a separate traffic diversion or identified any specific operational plan beyond the warning of legal action against unauthorised gatherings. The next significant development will be whether the proposed protest takes place and how authorities enforce the restrictions.
