Abhijeet Dipke has been detained by Delhi Police ahead of Cockroach Janta Party's 'Lehra Do Tiranga' march. The CJP founder was taken into custody from his residence on Friday, just minutes before he was scheduled to join the rally in Delhi.
This marks Dipke's second detention in a week. He was previously detained shortly after arriving in Delhi from Mumbai to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
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One of the reasons for the march was the arrest of CJP members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were sent to five days of judicial custody after waving the national flag at Jantar Mantar on October 13. Their arrest came a day after the historic site was denotified as a designated protest venue.
Student leader Neha Bora, 29, was among several prominent activists detained over the weekend as authorities moved to curb protests led by the Cockroach youth movement. She was detained near Jantar Mantar.
Before detaining Dipke on Friday, Delhi Police had visited his residence and served him a notice against proceeding with the march.
The notice, issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), stated that prohibitory orders were in force in the Connaught Place area, a major commercial hub in central Delhi. It also noted that the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) had not granted permission for the proposed Tiranga Yatra, warning that proceeding with the march would amount to a violation of the law.
Dipke, who was wearing a white T-shirt featuring Mahatma Gandhi and a pair of jeans, was told that waving the national flag was not unlawful. However, organising an unauthorised march and assembling a crowd would violate the restrictions and invite legal action, the notice stated. The 31-year-old leader was also reminded of the need to handle and display the national flag in accordance with the Flag Code of India.
In a video, Dipke is heard questioning the police officer in front of him, saying, “Kya aarop laga diya hai aapne mere upar?” (What kind of accusation have you levelled against me?)
Seated on an egg-yolk-coloured sofa in his living room, with a small national flag draped over his shoulders, Dipke examines the notice and reads out portions of it while confronting the police personnel. Several sheets of paper can be seen spread across the glass-topped table in front of him.
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