CJP-led ‘Tiranga’ protest: Abhijeet Dipke detained, Central Park remains off limits

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leader Abhijeet Dipke was detained by police as tight security was deployed ahead of the ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ (wave the tricolor) protest at Connaught Place on Friday (October 16, 2026) to prevent a large gathering. Central Park, the announced site of the protest, remained off limits.

The development triggered a political exchange with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders through press conferences and social media posts accusing the Congress-led INDIA bloc of trying to seize power through regime change and create anarchy similar to that in Bangladesh. The Congress responded by quoting former President Pranab Mukherjee’s statement that the role of the opposition in a democracy is to “oppose, expose and oust”.

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Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said that the developments in Delhi in the last few days had raised several serious concerns and alleged that the Congress and its allies, both directly and through its affiliates, were trying to use democratic processes to create disorder for political ends.

“Efforts are being made to make the country’s youth instruments of anarchy and bring about Bangladesh-style regime change… Their fight is not for electoral reforms or the future of the youth, but only to gain power by creating instability and chaos,” he said. Mr. Singh added that the “repeated use of terms like ‘regime change’, ‘resistance’ and ‘the streets, not Parliament, offer the solution'” is an attempt to derail India’s development path”.

In response to X, Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh said: “The defense minister needs to be reminded of what former president Pranab Mukherjee, who won the Bharat Ratna in 2019, has often said: the job of the opposition in a democracy is to oppose, expose and oust.”

A few minutes before the march was scheduled to begin, the police detained Mr. Dipke outside the house where he lived in Jhandewalan, Karol Bagh. That same day, the police delivered a call to him to refrain from any action that could hinder the rights of other citizens.

“Wave the crime of Tiranga?”

Before being detained, Mr Dipke said: “Is waving the Tiranga a crime in this country? Even though we have officially asked our people to stay in small groups, take a simple photo with our Tiranga and leave peacefully, you still won’t let us breathe. If holding our own national flag in our own capital is considered a crime, then put me in jail.”

Both the CJP and the All India Students’ Association (AISA) separately claimed that Mr. Dipke and AISA chief Neha Bora were taken to “undisclosed locations” by security forces and kept out of touch. They demanded their immediate release.

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The AISA chief, along with other activists, was detained by female police officers at Mandi House near Connaught Place.

While the Delhi Police did not issue an official statement until 9:30 p.m., a senior police official in New Delhi said around 80 protesters were detained during the marches held on Friday evening.

Students Federation of India (SFI), All India Students Federation (AISF), Krantikari Yuva Sangathan and many other groups including independent protesters joined the march. Left MPs John Brittas (CPI-M) and P. Sandosh Kumar (CPI) also took part in the march.

Separately, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took out two ‘Tiranga’ processions in central Delhi and called on its workers to support the CJP protests across the country.

On October 14, the CJP announced that a protest would be held at Central Park in Connaught Place on Friday at 5 pm. A day later, the New Delhi Municipal Council issued an order that the park would remain closed for the next two days for “administrative reasons”.

Before the march, police blocked access to Central Park with barricades and parking vehicles at various entrances. Hundreds of security personnel were deployed to control the crowd and handle the protesters.

Published – 16 Oct 2026 18:02 IST