New Delhi: Delhi Police mounted one of its biggest security operations in recent months on Friday as the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ protest swept through central Delhi, leading to the detention of party founder Abhijeet Dipke, AISA president Neha Bora and more than 150 others.
Hours before the planned 5 pm gathering at Connaught Place, a police team visited Dipke’s residence and served him a notice asking him to refrain from any action that could affect the rights of residents, traders, commuters and patients. Dipke was detained while on his way to the venue, prompting the CJP to allege that he had been taken to an undisclosed location. His lawyers and party colleagues said they were unable to trace him for much of the day. He remained in preventive detention and was to be produced before a magistrate.
Neha was traced to the R K Puram police station, where her lawyers met her around midnight; she was later released from there after the completion of detention formalities.
Tricolour Protests Spread
The police action did not stop the demonstrations. Hundreds of CJP workers and student activists appeared at different points in central Delhi, waving the national flag, raising slogans of ‘Jai Hind’ and moving through Connaught Place’s inner circle before dispersing and regrouping elsewhere, The New Indian Express reported.
At Mandi House, AISA activists demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, the withdrawal of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and the repeal of the 2023 law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners. Scuffles broke out as police pushed back the crowds.
The Aam Aadmi Party separately held a Tiranga march near Rashtrapati Bhavan and its headquarters, with workers raising slogans of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’.
Sharp Political Reaction
The detentions triggered a sharp political confrontation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, addressing a press conference in Lucknow, accused the Congress and its allies of attempting to replicate Bangladesh-style regime change by pushing young people towards “anarchy”.
“Democracy does not give anyone the licence to create disorder or undermine constitutional institutions,” Singh said. “The youth of the country are being made pawns in the politics of anarchy.”
He alleged that opposition references to Bangladesh as a model for regime change exposed an attempt to destabilise the country. BJP leader Dilip Ghosh separately claimed that the CJP’s protests were disturbing Navratri and Durga Puja festivities.
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal wrote on X: “This is nothing but outright dictatorship. Is it a crime to hoist the tricolour? Abhijeet’s arrest shows how much Modi ji fears them.”
Former Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin posted: “Detaining them without disclosing their whereabouts is blatantly illegal and deeply inhumane. The Union Government must release them immediately and stop suppressing peaceful protests. Every attempt to crush the movement will only make it stronger.”
Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said: “Abhijeet Dipke has been detained for holding the Indian National Flag. Let that sink in. In Independent India, our youth are being detained for peacefully asserting their democratic rights.”
Massive Security Grid
Central Park was cordoned off, barricades were erected at Connaught Place, Patel Chowk, ITO and Sansad Marg, and more than 6,000 police personnel, 220 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces and an expanded CCTV network were deployed. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita barred mass gatherings in and around Connaught Place on Friday and Saturday.
The march followed the judicial custody of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka for entering Jantar Mantar on October 13.
