The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) announced in an official public notice on Thursday that Central Park, located in the heart of Connaught Place, will remain closed to the public on Friday, October 16, and Saturday, October 17, 2026.
The civic body attributed the temporary closure to “administrative reasons”. In a notice dated October 15, NDMC said Central Park in Connaught Place would remain closed to the general public for two days.
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The closure comes ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party's (CJP) planned “Lehra Do Tiranga” march at Central Park on Friday. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has called on people to gather at the venue at 5 pm with the national flag, asserting that hoisting the Tricolour is a matter of national pride and that waving it is not a crime.
The proposed demonstration follows the detention of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were remanded to five days of judicial custody over allegations of breaching peace bonds and trespassing into Jantar Mantar, which is no longer a designated protest site.
Although NDMC's notice does not explicitly link the closure to the planned march, the announcement comes amid heightened security arrangements in the national capital ahead of the proposed gathering.
Delhi Police have been preparing security measures for the event, with arrangements expected to cover Connaught Place and Jantar Mantar. CJP has not been granted permission to hold the proposed rally in Delhi, although the party has received approval for a similar protest at Mumbai's Azad Maidan.
Central Park is one of Connaught Place's prominent public spaces and is located directly above Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, a major interchange on the Delhi Metro network. With its expansive lawns and prominent Indian Tricolour, the park attracts commuters, shoppers, tourists and evening walkers.
The two-day closure means members of the public will not be able to access the park on October 16 and 17. However, the NDMC notice does not specify whether all entry gates will be barricaded or detail the impact, if any, on shops, restaurants and other commercial establishments across Connaught Place's Inner, Middle and Outer Circles.
The park is scheduled to remain closed through Saturday, October 17. While the notice specifies the two-day period, NDMC has not provided further details about the reopening arrangements.
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