‘Hang me, what kind of joke is this’: Dipke to Delhi Police ahead of Tiranga Yatra

According to police officials, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) are in force in Connaught Place and surrounding areas. The notice states that the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has not granted permission for the proposed gathering and warns that proceeding with it would invite legal action.

Delhi Police visited Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder and convener Abhijeet Dipke’s residence in New Delhi on Friday to serve him a notice warning against holding the party’s proposed ‘Tiranga Yatra’ at Central Park in Connaught Place without permission. The party has called on its supporters and the general public to gather at 5 pm to wave the national flag as part of its protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

According to police officials, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) are in force in Connaught Place and surrounding areas. The notice states that the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has not granted permission for the proposed gathering and warns that proceeding with it would invite legal action.

The police visit comes amid a growing confrontation between the CJP and the authorities over the party’s protests against the Election Commission. The proposed march has also brought the arrest of CJP members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka into focus. Both were sent to five days of judicial custody after allegedly entering Jantar Mantar while waving the national flag on October 13, a day after the site lost its status as an authorised protest venue.

‘What Kind Of Accusation Have You Levelled Against Me?’

In a video shared by the CJP, Dipke is seen sitting on a sofa with a small national flag draped across his shoulders as he reads the notice and questions the police officers present at his home.

“Kya aarop laga diya hai aapne mere upar (What kind of accusation have you levelled against me?),” he asks an officer.

A stack of papers can be seen on the glass-topped table in front of him as he examines the contents of the notice. One of the allegations he reads out states that he had been instigating the public through social media, which was described as unlawful.

“Ye kya mazak laga rakha hai aap logon ne. Kya notice hai, ye notice hota hai? Jo mann main aaye woh likhe ja rahe ho aap log (What kind of a joke is this that you people are playing? What is this ‘notice’? Is this what you call a notice? You’re just writing down whatever you feel like),” Dipke tells the officer seated across from him.

Dressed in a white T-shirt bearing Mahatma Gandhi’s image and blue jeans, the 31-year-old CJP founder then challenges the police to show evidence of him encouraging violence.

“Phansi pe chadha do na. Kya mazak hai ye (Go ahead, hang me. What kind of a joke is this?),” he says.

“Video aap ek nahi dikha payenge (You won’t be able to show even one video),” Dipke adds, challenging the officers to produce a video in which he can be seen instigating violence. Other police personnel are seen recording the exchange inside his residence.

The police reportedly told Dipke that waving the national flag was not illegal in itself, but holding an unauthorised march or gathering a crowd in violation of restrictions could lead to legal action. They also reminded him of the need to respect the national flag in accordance with the Flag Code of India.

CJP Says Peaceful Protest Is A Democratic Right

Earlier on Friday, Dipke defended the party’s proposed demonstration, arguing that peaceful protests were a democratic right. He accused the authorities of restricting citizens’ freedoms and said business disruptions should not be blamed on peaceful demonstrators.

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

“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 reiterated the party’s commitment to Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of peace and non-violence, saying the CJP had organised demonstrations in several cities without resorting to violence.

“Since its inception, the Cockroach Janta Party has maintained that we will always follow Gandhi ji’s path of peace and non-violence, and we have stood by that commitment. We have organised protests in Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Lucknow, Bengaluru and Nagpur, and every single one of them has been peaceful. I was personally assaulted in Jaipur, but even then, I chose not to retaliate because responding to violence with violence goes against everything we believe in,” he said.

At a press conference on Thursday, Dipke had said the campaign drew inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi and Dr BR Ambedkar, stressing that the party wanted accountability through peaceful means.

“We believe in peace and non-violence. We are believers in Gandhi and non-violence. We are only asking for accountability,” he said.

Central Park Shut, Traders Raise Concerns

The NDMC has announced that Central Park will remain closed to the public on Friday and Saturday for “administrative reasons”. Delhi Police, meanwhile, said it could facilitate a select group of people to wave the national flag and sing the national anthem at a suitable location.

The proposed gathering has also drawn objections from the New Delhi Traders Association, which has urged political parties and protesters to avoid holding demonstrations in Connaught Place, saying repeated protests have affected commercial activity.

“Dear all political parties and protesters, we respect your right to protest and raise your voice, but CP is not your stage, it’s our workplace,” the traders’ association said.

The association said demonstrations over the past three weeks had affected sales and disrupted the livelihoods of shopkeepers, waiters, drivers, vendors and other employees. It also cited road closures and traffic disruptions, adding that the protests had made commuting difficult and kept tourists and families away from the area.

Delhi Police has maintained that Section 163 restrictions are already in force in Connaught Place, a major commercial hub that lies on the route towards Jantar Mantar.

Dipke’s Week Of Confrontations With Delhi Police

The notice is the latest development in a turbulent week for Dipke and the CJP leadership.

On Saturday, Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained after Delhi Police personnel entered their aircraft as it landed in the national capital from Mumbai. The three were travelling to participate in a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

In a video shared by the party, Dipke alleged that police personnel were preventing them from leaving the aircraft and inconveniencing other passengers.

“Police are not allowing to deboard the flight. They are causing inconvenience to the other passengers. You can see where the nation is heading. They are here to arrest us literally from the flight. This is something that not even Indira Gandhi had done. This is dictatorship as Delhi Police has entered in the flight to arrest us. We are here to be arrested, come and arrest us,” he said.

The CJP condemned the alleged detentions, describing them as part of a pre-planned move to stop its leaders from reaching the proposed protest site.

While in detention, Dipke learnt that his grandmother had died. The three leaders were held at separate locations and later released on the condition that they would not “breach peace” for a year, according to CJP legal affairs head Ratna Singh. Dipke subsequently returned to his family in Maharashtra.

On Tuesday, Das and Ranka were taken into custody again and sent to five days of judicial custody over allegations of trespassing at Jantar Mantar, which had been denotified as a protest site a day earlier.

The CJP has continued to maintain that its campaign against the Chief Election Commissioner is peaceful and aimed at seeking accountability over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. The proposed ‘Tiranga Yatra’ is the latest flashpoint in the dispute, with the police warning of legal action if the gathering proceeds without the required permission.

(With IANS inputs)

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