Delhi Police Detain Rahul's Aide Neha Bora, Abhijeet Dipke During CP Central Park Event

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Friday placed Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke and All India Students’ Association (AISA) national president Neha Bora under preventive detention. The action was taken as both youth leaders attempted to proceed toward Central Park in Connaught Place to lead the party’s planned ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ demonstration.

Dipke was taken into custody shortly after stepping out of the residence of NCP (SCP) spokesperson Anish Gawande in New Delhi. Earlier in the day, security teams visited Dipke's temporary residence and served him a formal notice under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), strictly barring any unpermitted assembly or march in the heart of the national capital.

The police action follows days of heightened friction between party leadership and law enforcement over unpermitted political gatherings in the national capital. A police official informed Dipke about the detention, saying, “We are placing you under preventive detention. Section 163 is in force in Connaught Place. You are being detained.” 

Delhi Police issued two notices to Dipke, citing restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and a previous undertaking to maintain peace. A notice was issued by the New Delhi district under the Delhi Police Act, directing Dipke not to visit Central Park in view of the restrictions imposed under Section 163 of the BNSS. 

The second notice was issued by the South-West Delhi district and referred to a previous preventive action involving Dipke, Ashutosh and Saurav, who were detained at the airport and produced before a court.

Heavy Police Deployment 

In anticipation of the demonstration, the New Delhi district was transformed into a fortress. Over 6,000 police personnel, along with more than 200 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), were deployed across strategic entry points, establishing multi-layered barricades around Connaught Place.

Officials formally served Dipke a notice barring the event, clarifying that while carrying the national flag is legal, organising an unauthorised mass assembly violates public safety regulations. Authorities shuttered Central Park for two consecutive days. Police confirmed that neither the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) nor local law enforcement had cleared the event, citing severe traffic disruption and safety risks.

Police officials reiterated that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of BNSS remain active across the New Delhi district. Authorities closed Central Park for two days, citing administrative reasons and security protocols.

Drones and enhanced CCTV networks were deployed around Rajiv Chowk Metro station and the Inner and Outer Circles to monitor crowd movement. The notice referred to the bond that they should not disturb public peace for a period of one year. Earlier, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar met senior police officers to review security arrangements and assess the overall situation ahead of the proposed ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ rally in the national capital.

On CJP's ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ protest, Additional CP (Traffic) DK Gupta said, "The traffic police have issued a detailed advisory. Areas around Connaught Place are likely to be affected. We have deployed our personnel across these zones to regulate traffic. Should any disruptions occur, we will implement timely diversions to ensure the public faces minimal inconvenience and traffic continues to flow smoothly. We are definitely monitoring social media as well. If we receive any inputs regarding potential disruptions on the ground, we will implement timely diversions to keep traffic moving. Our primary objective is to ensure that commuters do not face any difficulties. We request that all commuters follow our traffic advisory. If any disruptions occur, we will implement diversions; therefore, we advise people to plan their travel accordingly, keeping these updates in mind."

Escalating Tensions Over Prior Arrests

The call for Friday’s 'Tiranga March' comes as part of CJP’s ongoing agitation alleging irregularities in the Election Commission’s electoral roll revision process. Tensions escalated earlier in the week following the arrest of fellow CJP co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka during a separate demonstration.

Dipke maintained that the party was determined to hold a peaceful gathering. “Waving the national flag in our own country cannot be treated as a crime. We came prepared to face arrest if holding the Tricolour is considered illegal by the administration,” Dipke stated shortly before being taken into police custody.

The notice further warned that the NDMC has not given permission for the proposed Tiranga Yatra on Saturday, and if the CJP decides to go ahead with this at Connaught Place, it would be considered a violation of Section 163 of the BNS, and legal recourse would follow.

Tensions reached a tipping point earlier in the week following the arrest and remand to judicial custody of CJP co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. They were taken into custody after hoisting the national flag at Jantar Mantar—a historic protest site that was recently de-notified as a designated protest zone by authorities.

Dipke was also informed that waving the Tiranga was not against the law, but staging an unpermitted march and gathering a crowd would be a violation of restrictions, and the police would take legal action. Dipke was also informed about the restrictions on treating the national flag with due respect in the Flag Code.

While the Supreme Court declined to issue an urgent stay on the march and the Delhi High Court directed police to regulate rather than arbitrarily prohibit movement, police maintained that large crowds in the heart of commercial Delhi could not be permitted without prior administrative clearances. Dipke remains in preventive detention at a local police station as security forces maintain strict vigilance across the New Delhi zone to prevent further mobilisation.