CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke detained ahead of ‘Tiranga gathering’ at Connaught Place

The detention came hours after police served Dipke two notices asking him to refrain from holding the gathering, citing the absence of permission from the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). 

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder and convener Abhijeet Dipke was detained by Delhi Police on Friday while on his way to attend the party’s proposed “Tiranga gathering” at Central Park in Connaught Place, scheduled for 5 pm.

The detention came hours after police served Dipke two notices asking him to refrain from holding the gathering, citing the absence of permission from the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and prohibitory orders in force at the venue. Police warned that legal action would follow any violation of these orders.

Police issue two notices to Dipke

According to officials, the first notice was issued by the New Delhi district authorities under the Delhi Police Act. It instructed people not to visit Central Park, where prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) are currently in force.

The second notice was issued by the South West Delhi authorities. It reminded Dipke that he, along with CJP co-conveners Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, had previously been “bound down” under a legal undertaking after their preventive detention at the airport and subsequent production before a court.

The undertaking followed a court directive requiring the three to refrain from causing public disturbances for a period of one year.

Dipke defends CJP’s protests

Earlier on Friday, Dipke defended the party’s protests, arguing that peaceful demonstrations were a democratic right. He accused the government of curtailing citizens’ freedoms and disrupting business activities through shutdowns, internet suspensions and restrictions on movement.

In a strongly worded post on X, Dipke said demanding government accountability, protesting against injustice and questioning public representatives could not be described as anarchy.

He maintained that the party remained committed to Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of peace and non-violence, despite what he described as attempts to provoke its members.

“Businesses do not suffer because of peaceful protests. They suffer when the govt decides to shut down an entire city, suspend Internet services, restrict the movement of its own citizens and turn the city into a war zone,” he posted.

Dipke also said the pressure group had organised peaceful protests in several cities, including Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Lucknow, Bengaluru and Nagpur, underlining its commitment to non-violence.

(with IANS inputs)

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