Delhi Police Detain CJP Founder Dipke Minutes Before Tiranga Marchਤਿਰੰਗਾ ਮਾਰਚ ਤੋਂ ਕੁਝ ਮਿੰਟ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਸੀਜੇਪੀ ਆਗੂ ਦਿਪਕੇ ਹਿਰਾਸਤ ਵਿੱਚ

Delhi Police on Friday evening took Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke into preventive detention minutes before the party's "Lehra Do Tiranga" (Wave the Tricolour) march was due to begin at Central Park in Connaught Place at 5 pm. A police official told him that Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was in force in the area, ANI's video showed.

What happened to Dipke?

India Today reported that police first served Dipke a notice at the Jhandewalan residence where he was staying, directing him not to take part in the march. He stepped out at around 4.50 pm to head for Connaught Place and was taken into custody minutes later, after which supporters tried to block the vehicle carrying him away. Dipke asked officers what law he had broken and, in a video streamed by the party, said: "We will just wave the Tricolour. Is that not allowed either?" Police maintained the action was preventive.

What did the police notice say?

According to Scroll, which cited a notice shared by IANS, police said a demonstration at Connaught Place could hamper emergency access and disrupt businesses on which more than 15 lakh traders and employees depend, and that the area is close to Parliament, the Central Secretariat and diplomatic precincts. The notice also said violations of the prohibitory orders could invite charges of disobeying an order promulgated by a public servant, and claimed the group had broken conditions of earlier protest permissions, an apparent reference to its July protests. Those are the police's claims. Delhi Police had earlier said it could facilitate a small group waving the flag and singing the national anthem at a suitable spot.

How tight was security?

Central Park was closed by the New Delhi Municipal Council on October 16 and 17, citing administrative reasons. Scroll, quoting Hindustan Times, said more than 6,000 Delhi Police personnel were deployed around Connaught Place, on top of about 26,000 central armed police personnel already in central Delhi over the past week. India Today described barricades, parked buses, a water cannon at the park gate and CRPF and Rapid Action Force personnel on duty.

Why was the march called?

The CJP called it after two of its leaders, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were remanded to five days of judicial custody on Wednesday for allegedly entering Jantar Mantar, which police no longer treat as a designated protest site. A third leader, Ajinkya Shinde, was released on a personal bond. The wider protests, held since October 2, demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and a halt to the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Delhi High Court declined this week to restrain the CJP from demonstrating, and the Supreme Court on Friday refused an urgent hearing on a traders' plea against the park closure, according to The Hindu and India Today.

What does the CJP plan next?

The CJP told India Today it has a "Plan B" if Dipke is detained, similar to October 10, when Dipke, Das and Ranka were detained after landing in Delhi and Shinde was named to lead in their absence. At the time of reporting, Dipke was in police custody and the march's outcome had not been confirmed. The party also held a peaceful "Lehra Do Tiranga" gathering at Mumbai's Azad Maidan on Friday, according to Rediff.

Is the Tricolour march illegal?

Police said waving the flag is not a crime but that an unpermitted march in a prohibited area violates Section 163. Dipke argues that raising the national flag should not need police permission.

Where was the march to be held?

At Central Park in Connaught Place, central Delhi, home to a monumental national flag. It was called for 5 pm on Friday, October 16, 2026.

What is preventive detention here?

Police detain a person to prevent a breach of the peace or violation of prohibitory orders, without registering an arrest for an offence. Delhi Police said it took this step because Section 163 was in force in Connaught Place.