A call by Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke for a tricolour gathering at Delhi’s Connaught Place on October 16 has brought the city’s protest restrictions back into focus, days after two party office-bearers were sent to judicial custody over alleged violations at Jantar Mantar.
Mr. Dipke asked supporters to assemble at Central Park in Connaught Place at 5 p.m. on Friday with the national flag. He also urged people unable to travel to Delhi to organise “tiranga marches” in their own cities. The call was made on X on Wednesday, October 14.
The proposed gathering follows the arrest and detention of CJP members during an anti-Chief Election Commissioner protest. The Hindu reported that co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to five-day judicial custody on Wednesday and lodged in Tihar Jail. Police said the two were accused of violating peace bonds and trespassing into Jantar Mantar, which has been de-notified as a protest area.
Mr. Dipke alleged that Mr. Das and Mr. Ranka had been jailed “only for unfurling the tricolour”. He said the planned gathering would demonstrate that waving the national flag was not a crime. He also said he apprehended that he could be jailed after making the call.
The CJP members had been holding the tricolour and raising slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar before being taken away by police personnel on Tuesday, October 13, according to the report. The outfit said its members had “reclaimed” Jantar Mantar and their right to protest.
Police said two first information reports had been registered against 14 CJP members over allegations of trespass, disobedience of official orders and obstruction of police personnel on duty. The police also cited the possibility that Mr. Das and Mr. Ranka could repeat the alleged violations or encourage others to do so if released.
Ajinkya Shinde, who was also placed under preventive arrest, was released after furnishing a personal bond and surety of ₹5,000. According to a police statement, he gave an undertaking to maintain peace and good behaviour for six months.
The latest call follows an earlier sequence of detentions. Mr. Dipke, Mr. Das and Mr. Ranka were detained at Indira Gandhi International Airport on October 10, the day the CJP had called for an anti-CEC protest at Jantar Mantar. They were released nearly 24 hours later on October 11. CJP office-bearers claimed that their release was subject to a condition that they would not engage in any activity breaching peace and tranquillity for a year.
Mr. Dipke returned to Delhi on Wednesday after travelling back to his village earlier in the week following the death of his grandmother. The proposed Central Park gathering now places attention on how the police and civic authorities will respond to the announced event, including any arrangements or restrictions concerning assembly in Connaught Place.
