Delhi Police Detain Abhijeet Dipke and Neha Bora Ahead of Tiranga March

Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke shortly after he left a residence in the Jhandewalan area of central Delhi on Friday afternoon. Officers told him he could not proceed to New Delhi and placed him in a vehicle. Dipke had planned to reach Central Park in Connaught Place by 5 pm to unfurl the national flag as part of a "Lehra Do Tiranga" gathering.

AISA national president Neha Bora was detained separately near Mandi House while leading a parallel group. Police sources said Dipke was taken to Jafarpur Kalan police station in southwest Delhi. Officers indicated he could be held under preventive detention for up to 24 hours. Both leaders were among roughly 150 people picked up around Connaught Place, Janpath Road and Mandi House.

The planned gathering had not received permission. The New Delhi Municipal Council closed Central Park to the public on 16 and 17 October. Police issued notices to Dipke earlier in the day at the Karol Bagh residence where he was staying, directing him not to take actions that could affect the rights of citizens, traders or commuters. Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita were in force. Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar reviewed arrangements at the New Delhi district office. More than 6,000 personnel, including Central Armed Police Forces, were deployed across central Delhi.

Dipke told officers he was alone, had not broken any law and was simply carrying the Tricolour. In earlier exchanges he said the intention was to wave the flag, not stage a protest in the conventional sense. Supporters and student groups held flash demonstrations after the detentions. Crowds, camera crews and security personnel created jostling scenes at both locations. Opposition figures, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, criticised the police action. Government representatives described the events as an attempt to create disorder.

The Cockroach Janta Party has focused recent activity on demands related to the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Dipke and others have alleged irregularities in the process. On 15 October the Delhi High Court had declined to restrain the protest call. Earlier notices and binding-down orders had already been issued to Dipke and co-conveners after previous detentions.

Police stated that the situation remained peaceful overall and that their priority was to keep traffic moving and maintain order. Some protesters who reached Connaught Place were removed. The detentions prevented the main gathering at the planned venue. Parallel activity continued at other spots, with flags visible among the crowds.

The episode adds to a sequence of public actions and police responses around the voter-list revision controversy. Whether further gatherings occur over the weekend, and whether the detained individuals face formal charges or are released after the preventive period, will shape the immediate next steps. The scale of the deployment and the number of detentions show how the authorities treated the flag march as a potential disruption in a busy commercial area.