Police cite prohibitory orders and lack of permission for protest.
16 October, 2026, 06:05 pm
Last modified: 16 October, 2026, 06:14 pm
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was detained in Delhi today (16 October) while leaving his residence to join the party's planned 'Lehra Do Tiranga' (Wave the National Flag) march at Central Park in Connaught Place, police sources said.
Earlier, more than 20 Delhi Police personnel visited Dipke's residence in Jhandewalan and served him a notice warning him against taking any action that could prejudice the rights of citizens, traders, commuters, patients and others.
The detention came amid heightened security arrangements in the national capital ahead of the proposed march.
It was the second time Dipke had been detained within a week. He was previously detained shortly after arriving in Delhi from Mumbai to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The proposed protest also followed the arrest of CJP members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were sent to five days of judicial custody after entering Jantar Mantar while waving the national flag on 13 October. The historic site had been denotified as a protest venue a day earlier.
Before detaining Dipke today, police served him a notice under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), citing prohibitory orders around Connaught Place, a major shopping hub in central Delhi.
The notice stated that the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) had not granted permission for the proposed Tiranga Yatra and warned that proceeding with the march would violate the law.
Dipke, 31, was wearing a white T-shirt featuring Mahatma Gandhi and jeans when police informed him that waving the national flag was not illegal. However, they warned that organising an unauthorised march and gathering a crowd would breach the restrictions and invite legal action.
Police also reminded him of the requirements under the Flag Code of India, which stipulates that the national flag must be treated with due respect.