NEW DELHI: Tensions have heightened in the national capital as Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke declared he is completely prepared to go to jail for waving the national flag. His remarks came in response to the New Delhi Municipal Council’s (NDMC) sudden move to close Central Park in Connaught Place for two days ahead of the party’s proposed "Lehra Do Tiranga" (Let the Tricolour Fly) march.
In a public notice issued by the civic body, the NDMC stated that Central Park would remain strictly closed to the general public on October 16 and 17, citing unspecified "administrative reasons". The closure effectively blocks the focal point chosen by the CJP for its scheduled demonstration.
The shutdown follows intense legal and political friction. Earlier, the Delhi High Court declined a plea seeking to outrightly restrain the CJP from holding its public gathering, leaving room for the police to regulate the event. While Delhi Police maintained that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) remain in force across Connaught Place, they stated they could consider permitting a limited group of 11 individuals to carry the flag at an alternate designated spot.
Rejecting restrictions and calling out the measures, Dipke took to social media platform X to rally supporters. He urged patriots across the city and beyond to organize parallel gatherings and march with the Tricolour, asserting that waving the national flag is not a crime. "I am ready to go to jail," Dipke stated in a video message, adding that potential arrests or heavy clampdowns will not deter his resolve.
The CJP has been actively protesting against alleged irregularities surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. With security forces maintaining strict vigilance and heavy barricading around Connaught Place, authorities remain on high alert to prevent any escalation of law and order issues.
