The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Thursday announced that Central Park in Connaught Place would remain closed to the public on Friday and Saturday, citing administrative reasons.
The decision comes a day after Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke called for a “Lehra Do Tiranga” (Let the Tricolour Fly) demonstration at the park on October 16. The park’s closure comes after the Delhi High Court declined to restrain the CJP from holding the protest. The Delhi police told the court that it would take all possible measures to maintain order.
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In a public notice issued on October 15, the civic body said, “It is hereby informed that the Central Park, Connaught Place shall remain closed for general public on 16th October and 17th October due to administrative reason.”
Senior NDMC officials declined to comment on the reasons behind the closure of the park, which is located in the heart of Connaught Place.
Dipke has urged people to gather at the park with the national flag at 5 pm on Friday as part of the proposed demonstration.
NDMC to shut all five gates
Located above the Rajiv Chowk Metro station, Central Park is spread across 41,500 square metres and features four water bodies, a 350-seat amphitheatre and a monumental Indian flag mounted on a 207-foot-high mast. The NDMC’s horticulture department maintains the park.
An NDMC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the civic body had received instructions from senior authorities to close the park. All five gates will be shut, the official added.
The park’s amphitheatre is often booked for government functions and social and cultural programmes, while the green space attracts large numbers of visitors, particularly on weekends, the official said.
The official also pointed to challenges in preventing people from entering the park during the proposed demonstration, given its low boundary railing, which is around three to four feet high. "We had received directions for higher authorities about closing the parks. Five gates of the park would be shut," the official said.
The monumental flag installation stands near the park’s corner, a few feet from the inner-circle road. Preventing people from approaching the flag could be difficult, the official said, adding that managing such a situation would be a law-and-order responsibility for the police.
The monumental flag installation is located at the corner of the park a few feet away from the inner circle road. "It would be difficult for us to prevent people from going near it. It is a law and order issue that police will have to deal with," official said.
Traders welcome closure, flag traffic concerns
Atul Bhargava of the New Delhi Traders Association welcomed the closure but expressed concern that the proposed demonstration could disrupt commercial activity in Connaught Place.
“Connaught Place is a commercial centre and not a protest site,” Bhargava said, adding that the market would remain open on Friday.
He said traders had also met Delhi Police officials over their concerns about the impact of demonstrations on business.
While the closure of Central Park was a welcome step, Bhargava warned that protesters could spill over onto surrounding roads, requiring adequate security arrangements.
“CP is open from all sides, and it is very difficult to check movement in such cases,” he said.
The proposed march comes amid heightened security concerns following recent protests in the capital and a dispute over designated demonstration venues. The Delhi Police has said it would take all possible measures to maintain order during the planned gathering.
Delhi High Court refuses to restrain CJP march
The development came hours after the Delhi High Court declined to pass an order preventing CJP and Dipke from holding the protest. The court recorded the Delhi Police’s assurance that it would take all possible measures, in accordance with the law, to regulate the gathering and maintain order.
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The court was hearing a petition filed by a street vendor at Palika Bazar. He raised concerns that the proposed demonstration could disrupt commercial activity in Connaught Place and affect the livelihoods of traders and vendors, particularly during the festive season.
The matter has been posted for further hearing on November 3.
Why is CJP planning the march?
Dipke called for the ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march to protest the arrest of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. The two activists were sent to five days of judicial custody and lodged in Tihar Jail following their arrest for allegedly trespassing in Jantar Mantar and waving the Tricolour.
CJP members allegedly breached barricades and raised slogans demanding the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Police cited alleged violations of prohibitory orders in connection with the arrests.
Dipke has maintained that waving the national flag is not a crime and asked supporters to organise similar marches in other cities. The proposed gathering comes amid protests by opposition parties, student groups and activists over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Election Commission has denied allegations that the exercise was intended to favour the ruling BJP.
Jantar Mantar denotified as protest site
The proposed demonstration comes days after the Delhi Police denotified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site and identified three alternative venues for demonstrations: Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi, Burari Ground in north Delhi and CBD Ground in Shahdara in east Delhi.
The decision followed an October 9 Supreme Court order calling for suitable alternative locations where people could exercise their right to protest without compromising public safety. Delhi Police informed the Delhi High Court about the denotification on October 12.
Security arrangements under discussion
Delhi Police officials have been reviewing security arrangements for the proposed march, including possible traffic restrictions and diversions in Connaught Place and other parts of central Delhi. The preparations follow earlier demonstrations that led to detentions and restrictions around protest sites in the capital.