New Delhi, Oct 15:The Delhi High Court on Thursday agreed to hear a plea seeking to restrain the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) from holding a proposed protest at Central Park in Connaught Place (CP) on October 16, with the petitioner claiming that the demonstration could disrupt normal life and cause financial losses to local traders.
The matter was mentioned before Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) Nitin W. Sambre by senior advocate Sacchin Puri, who sought urgent interim intervention to prevent the proposed gathering in the heart of the national capital. Submitting that the protest would take place at Central Park on October 16, Puri submitted that the demonstration could lead to severe traffic congestion and disruption of business activities across Connaught Place, particularly as it coincides with the Dussehra weekend.
The senior counsel submitted that the protest could result in the entire Connaught Place area being shut down, affecting the movement of people and causing losses to shopkeepers and other businesses in the area. Taking note of the submissions, the High Court observed that the Supreme Court was already seized of related matters and asked the senior counsel to appear at 2.30 p.m. with details of the proceedings and copies of the orders passed by the apex court on Thursday.
The plea has been filed by Anil Kumar Gupta, a street vendor at Palika Bazar in Connaught Place, seeking directions to restrain the CJP from organising any agitation, demonstration, march or gathering at Central Park or any other place that has not been designated as a protest venue.
The petitioner has also sought a broader prohibition on protests in Central Delhi, including Connaught Place, in order to prevent disruption to public life and commercial activities. The proposed demonstration comes after CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke called upon people to gather at Central Park at 5 p.m. on Friday to wave the national flag in protest against the arrest of the party’s co-conveners, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.
In a video message posted on the social media platform X on Wednesday, Dipke described the proposed agitation as ‘Lehra do Tiranga’ and urged people to participate in the gathering, asserting that waving the national flag was not a crime. Das and Ranka were sent to five-day judicial custody on Wednesday in connection with the Jantar Mantar trespassing case, while another CJP leader, Ajinkya Shinde, was released on a personal bond.
The three party members were placed under preventive arrest over allegations of trespassing at Jantar Mantar, which has been de-notified as the designated protest site. They were booked for alleged trespassing, violation of bond conditions and obstruction of public servants in the discharge of their duties.
IANS