Delhi HC Declines to Restrain Abhijeet Dipke’s Tiranga March at Connaught Place; Police Assure Vigilance
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday declined to restrain Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke from holding a ‘Tiranga march’ at Central Park in Connaught Place on October 16, after Delhi Police assured the court it would take all possible measures to manage the situation and prevent disruption.
Dipke has called on supporters to assemble at the park at 5 pm with the national flag under the slogan “Lehra do Tiranga.” He has framed the gathering as a response to the five-day judicial custody of CJP co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were remanded to Tihar Jail after police alleged they trespassed into the denotified Jantar Mantar protest site while waving the Tricolour and raising slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Dipke has maintained that displaying the national flag is not a crime and has urged people unable to reach Delhi to organise similar marches in their own cities.
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma recorded the police assurance while hearing a petition filed by Anil Kumar Gupta, a licensed street vendor at Palika Bazar. Gupta had sought directions to stop the gathering, arguing that Central Park is not a designated protest site and that a large assembly during the Dussehra weekend would disrupt traffic, block access and affect the livelihoods of traders and small businesses in the commercial hub. Senior advocate Sachin Puri, appearing for the petitioner, told the court that the protest would “block entire Connaught Place” and urged a direct restraint on Dipke, who is based outside Delhi.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing Delhi Police, acknowledged the concerns of traders and stated that appropriate steps had already been taken and that “all possible measures under the law will be taken” to control and regulate the activities. The court took the assurance on record and posted the matter for further hearing on November 3, without issuing any interim order restraining the proposed march.
The development comes amid heightened security planning by Delhi Police for the event. Intelligence units have been tracking expected participation, and additional deployments are under consideration following earlier detentions of CJP leaders. On October 10, Dipke, Das and Ranka were detained after landing in Delhi ahead of a larger mobilisation against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls; they were later released on conditions not to breach the peace. Jantar Mantar has since been removed from the list of designated protest sites, with authorities identifying alternatives such as Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground.
CJP, which began as a satirical online movement after a Supreme Court remark likening some unemployed youth to “cockroaches,” has grown into a youth-led pressure group active on issues ranging from examination paper leaks to electoral transparency. Dipke has repeatedly said he is prepared to face arrest but will proceed with the flag march. Police have indicated they will enforce prohibitory orders and ensure commercial activity in Connaught Place is not unduly affected, while traders have expressed hope that the gathering remains peaceful.
The court order effectively leaves the October 16 assembly free to proceed under police vigilance, shifting the immediate focus to law-and-order management on the ground.
