CJP Tiranga March in Delhi: 6,000 Cops Deployed, Abhijeet Dipke, Neha Bora Among 150 Detained

Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, All India Students’ Association (AISA) chief Neha Bora and around 150 protesters on Friday, October 16, during the party’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march in New Delhi. The demonstration was planned at Central Park in Connaught Place, where organisers intended to hoist the national flag, but police denied permission for the gathering and deployed more than 6,000 personnel across central Delhi, alongside Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).

Hundreds of protesters carrying the Tricolour gathered at Connaught Place and Mandi House despite restrictions. Police detained demonstrators at multiple locations as security arrangements were tightened around the proposed venue. The detentions were accompanied by jostling and minor altercations involving protesters, journalists and security personnel. ‘Tiranga Is Our Jaan’: CJP Vows to Continue Protest After Abhijeet Dipke’s Detention.

Delhi Police Deploy Over 6,000 Personnel, CAPF Companies

Delhi Police deployed more than 6,000 personnel in and around Connaught Place and other key areas of central Delhi to prevent a law-and-order situation during the proposed march. According to reports by The Times of India and Hindustan Times, the local police deployment was supported by central paramilitary forces, with 200 CAPF companies planned in shifts. India Today, citing PTI, reported a deployment of 220 CAPF companies.

The arrangements included barricades, additional CCTV cameras, security cordons and personnel stationed at key points around Central Park, Rajiv Chowk Metro Station and the inner and outer circles of Connaught Place. Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel were deployed near the park, while traffic police regulated vehicle movement around the protest area.

Police also positioned detention buses and specialised vehicles, including a tear gas vehicle and a Vajra vehicle, near Central Park. Security personnel formed a human chain along the park’s metal railings to restrict access. Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar visited the DCP New Delhi office at Parliament Street police station to review the arrangements. The heightened deployment came amid concerns about crowd management, traffic disruption and a repeat of the clashes that took place during an earlier CJP protest in July. Neha Bora Detained at Mandi House During Tiranga Protest in Delhi, Abhijeet Dipke Also Held (Video).

Why Delhi Police Denied Permission for the CJP Tiranga March

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke had called for the ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march at 5 pm on Friday at Central Park in Connaught Place. The organisers planned to gather with the national flag and demand accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Delhi Police served a notice to Dipke ahead of the march, directing him to refrain from holding the proposed gathering without the required permission from the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). The notice cited prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which restrict certain assemblies in the area.

Police clarified that waving the national flag was not prohibited, but holding an unauthorised march and assembling a crowd in a restricted area could invite legal action. The notice also referred to the rights and interests of residents, traders, commuters and other members of the public. Authorities said the restrictions were intended to prevent disruption to public movement and maintain law and order.

Separately, NDMC announced that Central Park would remain closed to the public on October 16 and 17 for administrative reasons. The closure prevented the organisers from holding their planned gathering inside the park. Traffic restrictions were also announced for roads around Connaught Place, with commuters advised to expect disruption during the afternoon and evening.

CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke Detained Before Reaching Connaught Place

Dipke was detained by Delhi Police at around 4:50 pm as he stepped out of a residence in Karol Bagh, where he was staying. According to The Indian Express, he unfurled the Tricolour before police personnel escorted him into a police vehicle. Police sources said he was taken to Jaffarpur Kalan police station in southwest Delhi and could be placed under preventive detention.

Earlier in the day, a police team comprising more than 20 personnel had visited his residence and served him the notice against holding the proposed march. Dipke had maintained that the demonstration was intended to be peaceful and questioned why citizens should be prevented from gathering with the national flag. Police, however, maintained that the restrictions concerned an unauthorised public assembly rather than the act of waving the Tricolour.

AISA Chief Neha Bora, Around 150 Protesters Detained

Neha Bora, the AISA chief, was detained at Mandi House while leading a group of supporters towards Connaught Place. Student activists had organised a parallel demonstration demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and opposing the revision of electoral rolls.

Police also detained protesters who gathered around Central Park and other locations in Connaught Place despite the restrictions. By Friday evening, around 150 people had been detained during the planned march and parallel demonstrations, according to media reports. Despite the closure of Central Park, protesters carrying the Tricolour moved through the inner circle of Connaught Place, raised slogans and regrouped at different locations. Some demonstrators also sang the national anthem.

Police personnel attempted to disperse the gatherings, leading to jostling between protesters and security forces. Minor altercations were also reported involving journalists and camera crews covering the demonstrations. A senior police officer said Dipke and Bora had been detained preventively and that the police’s primary objective was to maintain law and order and ensure smooth traffic movement. Some groups were allowed to march while raising slogans, while other gatherings were dispersed.

Were Protesters Injured During the Demonstrations?

The detention operations were accompanied by jostling and minor confrontations at Connaught Place and Mandi House. Reports also described altercations involving protesters, journalists, camera crews and security personnel as police attempted to disperse the gatherings. However, the reports reviewed for this article did not establish a verified number of injured protesters or provide confirmed details about hospitalisation or the severity of any injuries. Any specific claim about injuries should be attributed to a verified police statement, hospital source or eyewitness account before publication.

CJP March Linked to Detention of Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das

The ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march was called in support of CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, who were arrested earlier in the week after allegedly entering Jantar Mantar without authorisation. Both were subsequently sent to five days of judicial custody. The CJP and allied student organisations have been organising demonstrations demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls. They have also called for changes to the electoral process and accountability from the Election Commission.

The Election Commission has denied favouring any political party and maintained that voters whose names were wrongly deleted can re-enrol. The BJP has dismissed the opposition’s allegations. The October 16 demonstration was another confrontation between the CJP-led movement and the authorities over public assembly restrictions and demands for electoral accountability. By Friday evening, police had dispersed gatherings at Connaught Place, while the proposed flag-hoisting event at Central Park had not proceeded as planned.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 16, 2026 10:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).