CJP's Tiranga march: 2,000 gather at Connaught Place, 150 detained; Dipke, Bora held earlier

Anti-CEC protests intensified in Delhi as CJP's 'Lehra Do Tiranga' march drew thousands to Connaught Place, prompting police to detain around 150 people, including Abhijeet Dipke and Neha Bora, over demands for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and opposition to the SIR of electoral rolls.

Delhi Police detained around 150 people on Friday as the Cockroach Janta Party’s proposed ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march drew an estimated 2,000 protesters to Connaught Place despite prohibitory restrictions. Party founder Abhijeet Dipke and AISA national president Neha Bora were detained earlier in the day, before the planned march could begin. While Central Park, the intended venue of the march, remained closed to the public, Delhi Police had earlier said it could facilitate a group of 11 people to carry the national flag and sing the national anthem at a suitable location.

Dipke detained before march

Dipke was detained shortly before the march's scheduled 5 pm start. Earlier in the afternoon, police officers visited the residence of Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) spokesperson Anish Gawande, where he was staying, and served him a notice directing him not to lead the procession.

When he stepped out to head towards Connaught Place, officers stopped him and placed him in preventive custody. Dipke questioned why he was being detained when he was alone, following which an officer cited Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which allows authorities to issue urgent orders to prevent threats to public order.

Police served Dipke two notices. While one cited restrictions on public assemblies in Connaught Place and barred the proposed march, the other related to an earlier peace bond involving him and CJP colleagues Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. Police alleged a breach of conditions under an earlier undertaking to maintain peace.

Bora held as protests spread

AISA national president Neha Bora was detained in the Mandi House area, where student activists and Left party workers had gathered ahead of the proposed march.

Meanwhile, CJP supporters, Aam Aadmi Party workers and other demonstrators assembled around Connaught Place carrying national flags. Police estimated the crowd at about 2,000, The Indian Express reported.

Protesters were dispersed near Central Park, while scuffles broke out around Palika Bazaar, with some demonstrators alleging that police had torn their flags.

Officials said more than 6,000 Delhi Police personnel and 220 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces were deployed for the demonstrations. According to police, the restrictions were intended to prevent unauthorised gatherings, protect commuters and ensure smooth traffic movement through the busy commercial district.

Central Park closure

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) had closed Central Park to the public on October 16 and 17, citing administrative reasons. Police barricaded access to the park ahead of the march, although supporters continued to assemble in the surrounding streets.

The Delhi High Court had on Thursday declined to issue an order stopping the CJP gathering, instead recording the police’s assurance that the event would be regulated in accordance with the law. The court’s decision, however, did not amount to permission for an unrestricted march.

Police subsequently said they could facilitate 11 people carrying the national flag and singing the national anthem at a suitable spot, while asking others not to gather. They cited the Section 163 restrictions and the absence of permission for a larger procession.

The police notice also referred to Connaught Place’s heavy footfall, traffic, limited access routes and the risk of disruption to traders and emergency services.

Why CJP, AISA are protesting

The confrontation followed days of demonstrations over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which protesters allege has led to wrongful deletions of names. They have accused the Election Commission of acting unfairly and demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The Election Commission has rejected the allegations of political bias, maintaining that the revision is intended to remove duplicate or ineligible entries from electoral rolls.

The immediate trigger for Friday’s flag march was the detention of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were sent to five days’ judicial custody after allegedly entering Jantar Mantar without authorisation and violating peace bonds. Their supporters have demanded their release and sought the restoration of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest venue.

The protests were not confined to Delhi. In Bengaluru, a CJP Tiranga march went ahead after police granted conditional permission for a procession from Town Hall to the Quit India Memorial, while supporters had also called for demonstrations in Mumbai.

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