New Delhi: Delhi Police on Friday served a notice on Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, warning of legal action if he proceeded with the proposed Tiranga Yatra at Connaught Place in violation of prohibitory restrictions.

Police personnel visited the residence where Dipke was staying in the national capital and informed him that Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was in force in and around Connaught Place. The notice stated that the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) had not granted permission for the proposed march and that proceeding without authorisation would invite legal action.

Police clarified that waving the national flag was not unlawful in itself, but holding an unpermitted march and assembling a crowd in violation of the restrictions could attract action. Dipke was also reminded of the need to follow the Flag Code of India.

Dipke challenges police over allegations

In a post shared on social media platform X, Dipke is seen questioning the allegations mentioned in the notice and challenging the police to produce evidence that he had incited violence.

“What kind of a joke is this that you people are playing? What is this notice? Is this what you call a notice?” Dipke asks the officer in the video, questioning the grounds on which the notice was issued.

He also challenged the police to show a video in which he had allegedly instigated violence.

“You won't be able to show even one video,” he said.

Dipke had called on supporters to gather at Central Park in Connaught Place on October 16 to hoist the national flag. The proposed demonstration was intended to express support for CJP members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were remanded to five days of judicial custody following allegations of trespassing at Jantar Mantar and violating peace bonds.

Dipke defends peaceful protests

Earlier on Friday, Dipke defended the party’s protest activities in a post on X, rejecting allegations that its demonstrations amounted to anarchy.

He said the CJP had followed Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of peace and non-violence and claimed that its protests in Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Lucknow, Bengaluru and Nagpur had been peaceful.

“Businesses do not suffer because of peaceful protests. They suffer when the govt decides to shut down an entire city, suspend internet services and restrict the movement of its own citizens and turn the city into a war-zone,” he wrote.

Dipke also said that demanding accountability from elected representatives and protesting against injustice were fundamental democratic rights. He accused those in power of treating protests differently when they were in government compared with when they were in opposition.

“A govt that has been elected by the people is bound to listen to the people, not silence them. Democracy does not end once the votes have been counted,” he added.

Central Park closure and restrictions in Delhi

The police notice comes amid heightened security in and around Connaught Place ahead of the proposed demonstration. NDMC has ordered Central Park to remain closed on October 16 and 17, citing administrative reasons.

The closure has prompted concern among traders, who fear losses during the festival season. A plea filed by traders seeking urgent intervention over the shutdown was brought before the Supreme Court on Friday. The court declined an immediate hearing and said the matter would be listed after the Dussehra vacation.

Delhi Police has also told the Delhi High Court that it would take all possible measures under the law to address concerns surrounding the proposed CJP protest. 

The dispute has brought the proposed Tiranga Yatra into a wider debate over the right to peaceful protest, public-order restrictions and the impact of administrative measures on businesses in the capital.

(With ANI inputs)