‘Ready to go to jail’: Dipke says he may be detained before ‘Tiranga’ march

• CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke fears detention ahead of the party’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march at Delhi’s Central Park, insisting supporters will peacefully wave the national flag

• The NDMC closes Central Park for Friday and Saturday, while Delhi Police offers to facilitate a flag-waving event at a suitable location

• Dipke alleges surveillance and criticises the government, demanding chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s removal over alleged electoral irregularities

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has expressed fears that Delhi Police may detain him ahead of the outfit’s proposed ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march at Central Park in Connaught Place on Friday. He alleged that investigators were monitoring his movements and keeping watch outside his residence.

Addressing a press conference late Thursday night, Dipke said he and his supporters would proceed with their plan to wave the national flag, asserting that he was prepared to face imprisonment for the act.

“Tomorrow, we will peacefully go (to Central Park) and wave the Tiranga. As the citizens of this country, if you consider this to be a crime, then you are the biggest traitor,” Dipke said.

“If we have to go to jail for waving the tricolour, we are ready for it,” he added.

Dipke’s remarks came after the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) announced that Central Park would remain closed to the public on Friday and Saturday for “administrative reasons”.

Delhi Police, meanwhile, said it could facilitate a select group of people to wave the national flag and sing the national anthem at a suitable location.

Questioning the restrictions, Dipke argued that authorities could not shut down public spaces simply because citizens wished to wave the Tricolour.

“If we say tomorrow that we will wave the Tiranga at 100 places, will you shut all 100 places? If you go to Narendra Modi's rally tomorrow and wave the Tiranga, will police cancel the rally? What a joke you have made,” he said.

The CJP has appealed to members of the public and its supporters to assemble at Central Park for the proposed march, which is intended as a protest against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities.

Dipke challenged the authorities to publicly state if waving the national flag would not be permitted, claiming that no previous prime minister or government had imposed such restrictions.

The CJP founder also referred to the arrests of party members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were sent to judicial custody after entering Jantar Mantar while waving the national flag on 13 October.

Citing the incident, Dipke alleged that citizens were being jailed for displaying the Tricolour and questioned the government's position on the issue.

“Why does the prime minister of India hate the Tiranga so much? Does he deserve to remain the prime minister if he hates the Tiranga?” he asked.

His allegations come amid the party’s campaign seeking the removal of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Dipke maintained that the demand was not aimed at changing the government but at securing what he described as an independent and impartial appointment to the post.

“We are just saying that remove Gyanesh Kumar and appoint a new election commissioner in an independent, unbiased manner. We are not saying we want a regime change,” he said.

He further alleged that Kumar was not listening to his fellow election commissioners and questioned whether demanding his removal constituted a crime.

Dipke also claimed that vehicles without number plates had been following him and that Intelligence Bureau personnel were seeking updates from the watchman outside his residence.

He said Delhi Police could detain him either late Thursday night or on Friday morning but insisted that the possibility would not deter him or his supporters.

“Delhi Police can detain me tonight or tomorrow morning, but I want to tell Narendra Modi that we are not going to be scared,” he said.

In his closing remarks, Dipke accused the government of creating an atmosphere resembling the Emergency, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was reluctant to formally declare such a situation because it could damage his public image.

The proposed march and the competing statements from the party and authorities have placed the planned gathering at Central Park under scrutiny, with the dispute centred on access to the venue, the display of the national flag and the CJP’s demand for action against the chief election commissioner.

With PTI inputs