Tricolour showdown in Connaught Place: Abhijeet Dipke served notice as CJP rally hits a roadblock

Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Dipke was barred from holding a rally with the Indian tri-colour in Connaught Place's Central Park on Friday and was also served a notice, as authorities begin cracking down over the planned demonstration in the national capital.

Dipke has called on supporters to gather in Central Delhi for the rally at 5 PM, while 220 companies of Central Armed Police Forces and an expanded CCTV camera network have been put into service in the area. The central part of the capital remained heavily guarded in the early hours of Friday.

Also Read: CJP Protests: Delhi Police bars Abhijeet Dipke from holding Tiranga rally in CP, serves notice


Personnel from Delhi Police reached the residence where Dipke was staying in New Delhi and served him a notice. A live-stream by the CJP showed the conversation between the parties while the leader was also seen signing the notice.

The call for the rally comes after two leaders of the Gen-Z led outfit, Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to judicial custody for five days after removing barricades and entering Jantar Mantar, which was recently de-notified as a protest side. Amnesty International India has called for the immediate release of both Ranka and Das, saying both the arrests and removal of Jantar Mantar as a protest site threatens right to dissent.

The confrontation sets up another test of how authorities handle the protests, following last weekend’s detention of thousands and an effective lockdown of parts of the capital. Officials said Central Park, the planned venue for Friday’s demonstration, would remain closed for two days.