‘Refrain from actions prejudicial to citizens’ rights’: Delhi Police notice to CJP’s Abhijeet Dipke ahead of Tiranga march | India News
NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Friday served a notice to Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, warning him against holding the proposed Tiranga Assembly at Central Park in Connaught Place without permission from the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).The notice stated that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were in force in the Connaught Place area. Police warned that proceeding with the proposed gathering despite the restrictions could invite legal action.The notice also directed Dipke to “Refrain from action prejudicial to rights of citizen, traders, commuters, others.”According to the notice, waving the national flag was not prohibited, but holding an unauthorised march and assembling a crowd in the restricted area would violate the orders. Police also cautioned Dipke to follow the Flag Code while displaying the national flag.The CJP activist was served the notice at his residence in the Jhandewalan area in the presence of a Delhi Police official, ANI reported. The move came amid heightened security arrangements in and around Connaught Place ahead of the proposed ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ protest.
Dipke defends peaceful protests, accuses government of curbs
Earlier, Dipke rejected allegations that the CJP’s demonstrations promoted disorder, arguing that demanding accountability from those in power was a democratic right.In a post on X, he accused the authorities of disrupting businesses and restricting citizens’ movement through administrative measures, including shutting down areas and suspending internet services.“Businesses do not suffer because of peaceful protests. They suffer when the govt decides to shut down an entire city, suspend internet services and restrict the movement of its own citizens and turn the city into a war-zone. Since its inception, the Cockroach Janta Party has maintained that we will always follow Gandhi’s path of peace and non-violence, and we have stood by that commitment. We have organised protests in Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Lucknow, Bengaluru and Nagpur, and every single one of them has been peaceful. I was personally assaulted in Jaipur, but even then, I chose not to retaliate because responding to violence with violence goes against everything we believe in. We would rather exercise the rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution, drafted under the leadership of Dr B R Ambedkar, than resort to physical force,” he noted.Dipke also criticised what he described as the government’s contradictory approach to demonstrations, arguing that protests were treated as a democratic right when parties were in opposition but as a threat to public order when they came to power.“Despite this, there are constant attempts to portray us as anarchists simply because we refuse to remain silent. But demanding answers from the govt is not anarchy, protesting against injustice on the streets is not anarchy, and questioning those who hold public office is certainly not anarchy,” Dipke said.He maintained that an electoral mandate did not exempt the government from public scrutiny.“We are not asking for privileges or special treatment. We are simply asking to exercise the rights that belong to every citizen of this Republic, irrespective of which party is in power… A govt that has been elected by the people is bound to listen to the people, not silence them. Democracy does not end once the votes have been counted,” Dipke affirmed.
Central Park closed, traffic restrictions announced
The NDMC announced that Central Park in Connaught Place would remain closed to the public on October 16 and 17 for “administrative reasons”.
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Delhi Police said prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS were in force in Connaught Place and surrounding areas. The police also assured the Delhi High Court that all possible legal measures would be taken to address concerns surrounding the proposed CJP protest.Traffic movement on some roads in and around Connaught Place was expected to be affected from 3 pm on Friday, according to the Delhi Traffic Police.The proposed gathering has prompted heightened security and administrative restrictions in the area, with police warning that any march or assembly held in violation of the prohibitory orders could lead to legal action.
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