CJP founder calls for ‘Lehra do Tiranga’ protest at CP tomorrow over members’ arrest

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Dipke has called for a nationwide ‘Lehra do Tiranga’ demonstration this Friday, urging citizens to gather with the national flag at Central Park in central Delhi’s Connaught Place.

The protest call follows the remand of CJP co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to five days of judicial custody. Both leaders were arrested for allegedly trespassing into Jantar Mantar, violating bond conditions and obstructing police personnel on duty. They have been sent to Tihar Jail.

The Delhi police said on October 12 that Jantar Mantar has been denotified as a protest site.

“We will tell them that waving the Tiranga is not a crime,” Mr. Dipke posted on X, urging the supporters in Delhi to gather at the park at 5 p.m. Those who cannot travel to the Capital should organise ‘Tiranga marches’ in their respective cities, he added.

Before being transferred to Tihar Jail, Mr. Ranka said, “Our fight is for constitutional accountability and the integrity of our democratic processes. Locking down protest sites and arresting peaceful demonstrators will only strengthen our resolve to stand up for the people’s rights,” he said.

The CJP leaders have maintained that its movement focuses on defending democratic rights, accusing the administration of deploying police action to suppress peaceful dissent.

Oppn. support

The arrests have drawn criticism from several Opposition leaders, including Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule, Mamata Trinamool Congress leaders Mamata Banerjee and Mahua Moitra, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M.K. Stalin. They expressed solidarity with the CJP leaders through posts on X.

Criticising the decision to send the leaders to jail, Mr. Gandhi posted on X: “Waving the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar in a peaceful protest is not a crime. Jailing youth for it is an act of cowardice.” 

Describing the protests as part of a wider demand for constitutional rights, Mr. Gandhi said students, youth, journalists and INDIA bloc parties were united by a common cause, despite operating under different banners. “Jantar Mantar belongs to the people of India. We will reclaim it,” he added.