'Will Modi shut 100 places?' CJP founder Dipke hits out over park closure

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke urged participation in the 'Lehra do Tiranga' march at Central Park, Connaught Place, on Friday.

NDMC announced Central Park would remain shut on Friday and Saturday, while Delhi Police cited prohibitory orders against mass gatherings.

Dipke questioned Delhi Police's objection to waving the national flag and alleged he was being tailed by undercover cops.

The CJP alleges Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar presided over faulty electoral rolls, leading to 13 crore voter deletions.

The march follows the arrest of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka and the denotification of Jantar Mantar as a protest site.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Thursday urged people to join the 'Lehra do Tiranga' march carrying the national flag at Central Park, Connaught Place, on Friday, even as NDMC announced that the park would remain shut and the Delhi police cited prohibitory orders against mass gatherings.

The march, announced amid a stand-off with the Delhi police over demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, was called after CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to judicial custody for entering Jantar Mantar on October 13.

The NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Council) said Central Park would remain shut on Friday and Saturday, while a Delhi police officer pointed out that Connaught Place is not a designated site for protests, indicating yet another showdown with the demonstrators.

Clash Over Protest Site

The Delhi police urged people to stay away from the CJP march, but said it could facilitate a select group of people to wave the national flag and sing the national anthem at a suitable place.

"If we announce 100 places, will Narendra Modi shut down all 100 places?" Dipke said, responding to NDMC's announcement.

He also questioned Delhi Police: "Why does Delhi Police have a problem with waving the Tiranga?"

The NDMC cited "administrative reasons" behind the two-day park closure.

In a statement on Thursday, the police cited prohibitory orders in force in Connaught Place and adjoining areas. It, however, added that a limited number of people could be allowed to participate in a symbolic display of patriotism.

The police said various trader and market associations in Connaught Place and neighbouring areas have sought protection for their establishments from unruly elements and unlawful assemblies, which could affect business during the festival season.

Allegations And Calls For Unity

Meanwhile, on X, Dipke alleged he was being tailed.

"The place I am staying at has been surrounded by undercover cops from all sides. These people are keeping me under constant surveillance. The white scorpio has also been following me everywhere," he said.

Earlier, Dipke held a press conference here with student union representatives from the AISA, SFI, AISF, and several political activists, including Prashant Bhushan, Prakash Raj, Anjali Bharadwaj and Nikhil Dey. Dipke urged everyone to join the fight for the right to vote, stressing that ideological differences should be kept aside.

"I request all political parties and civil society groups to rise above ideology and come together. If the right to vote is not saved, democracy will not be saved," the Maharashtra native said.

Electoral Roll Controversy

The CJP founder alleged that the government is protecting Gyanesh Kumar, who presided over a faulty SIR of electoral rolls and deletions of 13 crore voters, almost 14 per cent of the electorate.

"The margin of victory in 2024 was just 2 per cent. Over 13 crore voters deleted -- around 14 per cent.

"Where 2 per cent is deciding the election, you are deleting 13 crore votes. What is this if not a setting?" Dipke said.

The BJP won 240 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats in 2024, securing 36.56 per cent of the votes, while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the party, secured 293 seats to form the government with around 43 per cent of the votes.

The INDIA bloc parties put together polled around 40.6 per cent of votes.

Timeline Of Agitation

The call for the march came after the arrest of Das and Ranka, who were sent to five days of judicial custody on Wednesday for entering Jantar Mantar and raising slogans demanding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.

The arrests came a day after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs withdrew Jantar Mantar's status as a designated protest site, prompting the outfit to challenge the order by returning to the venue with the national flag.

Delhi Police sources said heavy security will be in place in and around Connaught Place and Jantar Mantar ahead of Friday's protest, with several companies of paramilitary forces already stationed in the national capital.

The police will deploy personnel at strategic locations, erect barricades and regulate the movement of protesters and commuters to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incident, a source said.

An officer said Connaught Place is not a designated protest site.

"Jantar Mantar has been denotified as a designated protest site. Protesters can hold demonstrations at Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground or CBD Ground after obtaining the requisite permission," the officer said.

The CJP's agitation against Gyanesh Kumar began in Mumbai on October 2, when it launched a nationwide campaign alleging irregularities in electoral rolls and demanding his resignation.

The campaign moved to Delhi on October 10, when a call to gather at Jantar Mantar was met with a major police crackdown.

Dipke, Das and Ranka were detained just as their flight landed at the Delhi airport from Mumbai. Several opposition leaders, activists and students were detained either during demonstrations or even while they were still reaching Jantar Mantar.

The CJP has insisted Jantar Mantar continues to be a protest site for its proximity to the power corridors.

On October 13, Das, Ranka and other members entered the barricaded site carrying the national flag and were detained.

On October 6, INDIA bloc MPs were stopped by police barricades mid-march to the EC office.

The opposition MPs followed this with a series of luncheon meetings and protests, including a march towards Jantar Mantar the next day.

On October 9, opposition leaders met President Droupadi Murmu to raise concerns over the SIR.

The INDIA bloc parties marched to the Supreme Court on October 12, seeking to raise concerns over the revision exercise with the Chief Justice of India.