Delhi Police plans to block entry to Central Park in Connaught Place ahead of Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke’s proposed ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march, citing prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS.
Delhi Police has urged Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke to call off his proposed ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march to Central Park in Connaught Place, citing prohibitory orders in force in the New Delhi area.
The police said it plans to block all entry points to Central Park ahead of the proposed rally while allowing vehicular and pedestrian movement in Connaught Place’s inner and outer circles.
A police team also visited Dipke’s place of stay to verbally inform him about prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The team urged him to call off the march and maintain peace and law and order.
Quick answers to key questions
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QUESTIONS
Dipke said the march was intended to protest allegations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and symbolically oppose Jantar Mantar losing its status as a designated protest site. It was announced after CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to judicial custody.
Police cited prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which restrict large gatherings in Connaught Place and nearby areas. They urged Dipke to call off the march and maintain peace and law and order.
Delhi Police said the march had not been granted permission, citing the prohibitory orders in force. Police said they could consider allowing a select group to hold a flag march at a suitable alternative location.
The Delhi Traffic Police warned of restrictions and diversions on roads around central Delhi, including Sansad Marg, Janpath, Barakhamba Road and Tolstoy Marg. Commuters were advised to allow extra travel time, use public transport where possible and check official traffic updates.
No. The New Delhi Municipal Council said Central Park would be closed to the public on October 16 and 17 for administrative reasons. Police planned to block its entry points ahead of the proposed march.
The police team left after serving a notice to Dipke and obtaining his acknowledgement, a police officer said.
CJP livestreamed a tense exchange between Dipke and Delhi Police personnel, during which he questioned why unfolding the national flag would be considered unlawful.
"We are not putting any speaker, we have not said it is a protest, we are just saying we will unfold the Tricolour, is that now allowed?" Dipke could be heard asking a police officer.
Referring to the communication in the notice, Dipke further asked, "Is Tiranga unlawful?" The officer responded, "it is country's pride".
Why is Abhijeet Dipke planning the ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march?
Dipke announced the proposed march to Central Park on Wednesday amid a standoff with authorities over the arrest of two CJP spokespersons, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, for trespassing at Jantar Mantar.
Delhi Police detained Das and Ranka on Tuesday morning after they entered Jantar Mantar by jumping over its locked gates. This came a day after the site lost its designated protest venue status.
Das and Ranka were sent to five-day judicial custody on Wednesday. Dipke, who arrived in Delhi from Maharashtra that day, subsequently announced the planned march to Central Park.
The proposed rally was intended to protest the allegations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and serve as a symbolic stand against the removal of Jantar Mantar’s status as a designated protest site.
Delhi Police plans heavy deployment in Connaught Place
Delhi Police had planned to deploy more than 6,000 personnel in and around Connaught Place and central Delhi on Friday ahead of the proposed ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march.
Officials said a “select few people” could be allowed to conduct a march at a “suitable place”.
The local police deployment would be in addition to around 26,000 personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) stationed in the national capital over the preceding week following CJP’s call for protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Together, around 32,000 security personnel were expected to be deployed across central Delhi on Friday, an earlier HT report quoted people familiar with the matter as saying.
During the 10 October protest, Delhi Police had deployed around 5,000 personnel in the New Delhi district. The deployment covered Connaught Place, Rajiv Chowk, Central Park, nearby metro stations, Jantar Mantar and Palika Bazaar.
About the Author
Anjali Thakur
Anjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving digital conversations. Her work involves spotting early signals across news cycles and social media, sharpening stories for SEO and Google Discover, and mentoring young editors in digital-first newsroom practices. She is known for turning fast-moving developments—whether news-driven or culture-led—into clear, tightly edited journalism without compromising editorial rigour.<br><br> Before joining Mint, she was Deputy News Editor at NDTV.com, where she led the Trending section and covered viral news, breaking developments and human-interest stories. She has also worked as Chief Sub-Editor at India.com (Zee Media) and as Senior Correspondent with Exchange4media and Hindustan Times’ HT City, reporting on media, advertising, entertainment, health, lifestyle and popular culture.<br><br> Anjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miranda House, and is currently pursuing an MBA, strengthening her understanding of business strategy and digital media economics. Her writing balances newsroom discipline with a clear instinct for what resonates with readers.