New Delhi: Delhi Police detained around 150 demonstrators on Friday evening as the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) planned “Lehra Do Tiranga” march at Connaught Place dissolved into flash protests and scuffles — the outcome of the march GlobalDeskNews previewed earlier on Friday. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke never reached the venue — officers picked him up at around 4:50 pm — while AISA president Neha Bora was detained at Mandi House.
What happened on Friday evening
Dipke had called supporters to Central Park at 5 pm with the national flag. Police refused permission — Section 163 prohibitory orders were in force, Connaught Place is not a notified protest site, and the park was shut for October 16 and 17.
Hundreds came anyway. One group did multiple rounds of the inner circle carrying a giant Tricolour; another climbed barricades with flags and placards, The Tribune reported. The Indian Express estimated around 2,000 people gathered in and around Connaught Place through the evening.
Clashes broke out near Gate No. 2 of Palika Bazaar, where protesters alleged police tore their flags and asked why personnel wore no nameplates. “Those attempting to disrupt law and order are being detained,” a police officer told The Tribune. By 7 pm the crowd had dispersed.
The detentions: Dipke, Bora and 150 others
Police moved on the protest’s leadership before 5 pm. More than 20 personnel visited Dipke at the Jhandewalan house where he was staying and served two notices, The Tribune reported — one barring any demonstration near Connaught Place, the other citing the one-year good-behaviour bond he signed on October 10.
When Dipke stepped out at around 4:50 pm he asked, “I am alone. Why are you stopping me?” — then unfurled the Tricolour before being pushed into a van, the Indian Express reported. Police sources said he was taken to Jafarpur Kalan station for possible 24-hour preventive detention.
Bora’s detention sparked its own row. AISA said on X that she was taken from Mandi House to an undisclosed location, and later claimed she was being held alone at Manglapuri — claims that could not be independently verified.
Why the march was called
Friday’s march was a direct response to the October 13 jailing of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, arrested after entering Jantar Mantar and unfurling the flag, then sent to five days’ judicial custody. Jantar Mantar had just been de-notified as a protest site.
The demands ran wider: the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, a rollback of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls — which Dipke alleges deleted crores of voters, a claim the Election Commission rejects — and withdrawal of the 2023 appointments law.
A capital under lockdown
The Tribune reported more than 28,000 security personnel on guard — 6,000 Delhi Police plus 221 companies of 100 — with drones over Palika Market and barricades ringing the inner circle. Mumbai permitted a CJP rally at Azad Maidan while Bengaluru denied one; in Chennai, DMK MP Kanimozhi joined a protest, and lawyers demonstrated outside the Bombay High Court.
Reactions on both sides
Rahul Gandhi backed the protesting students after meeting some described as beaten by police; Arvind Kejriwal called the detentions “outright dictatorship.” Mamata Banerjee termed it “nothing short of an undeclared Emergency” and “the conduct of a fascist regime that cannot tolerate a voice it cannot control.”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh countered that groups were using youth as pawns “in a politics of chaos,” alleging a regime-change conspiracy modelled on Bangladesh’s upheaval. The external affairs ministry said institutions were “doing what they have to do.”
Why it matters — and what happens next
Friday was the sharpest confrontation yet in the rolling agitation around the Election Commission and the voter-roll revision. The CJP has made the Tricolour the symbol of the protest, so every detention becomes a political image. For the government, it was a show of control: no march at the venue, leaders held before 5 pm, crowds dispersed by 7. For the opposition, images of young flag-carriers detained by a 28,000-strong force are ammunition that will outlast the evening.
Dipke faces possible 24-hour detention; Das and Ranka remain in judicial custody. The CJP has vowed to continue — and with the festive season on, any repeat mobilisation will test the preventive-detention playbook again.
Key Takeaways
- Around 150 people were detained on Friday, October 16, as the CJP’s “Lehra Do Tiranga” march at Connaught Place ended amid scuffles; the crowd was dispersed by 7 pm.
- Abhijeet Dipke was detained at around 4:50 pm before reaching the venue; AISA chief Neha Bora was detained at Mandi House.
- The march protested the October 13 jailing of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka and demanded CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and a rollback of the SIR voter-roll revision.
- More than 28,000 security personnel were deployed; Central Park was shut and Section 163 prohibitory orders were in force.
- Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal condemned the detentions; Rajnath Singh alleged a regime-change conspiracy using the youth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Abhijeet Dipke detained?
Police detained him at around 4:50 pm as he left his accommodation, before he could reach Connaught Place. Officers had served two notices — one barring the march, another citing the one-year good-behaviour bond he signed on October 10. He was taken to Jafarpur Kalan station.
What are the protesters demanding?
The release of jailed CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, a rollback of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls — which Dipke alleges deleted crores of voters — and withdrawal of the 2023 law on appointing election commissioners. The Election Commission rejects the deletion claims.
How did political leaders react?
Rahul Gandhi backed the protesting students, Kejriwal called the detentions “outright dictatorship,” and Mamata Banerjee termed it “an undeclared Emergency.” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh alleged groups were using youth as pawns “in a politics of chaos” in a regime-change conspiracy modelled on Bangladesh’s upheaval.
What did the Supreme Court say about the protest?
On Friday morning the court declined urgent directions on a plea against the protest, which cited traders’ fears of festive-season business losses. The court urged protesters not to inconvenience the public, observing: “We hope better sense will prevail.”
Did similar protests happen outside Delhi?
Yes. Mumbai Police permitted a CJP solidarity rally at Azad Maidan, a designated protest site. In Chennai, DMK MP Kanimozhi joined an anti-CEC protest; lawyers demonstrated outside the Bombay High Court, some seeking the CEC’s resignation. In Bengaluru, police denied permission for a Tiranga march at Town Hall.
How many protesters were detained?
Delhi Police sources told PTI around 150 protesters were detained across the capital by Friday evening, a figure a police officer confirmed to The Tribune mid-operation. Those held included Dipke, AISA president Neha Bora, and activists at Connaught Place, Mandi House and Janpath.
By GlobalDeskNews Staff
Sources
- Indian Express — CJP protest: Dipke, Neha Bora detained as march ends amid scuffles (live updates, October 16, 2026)
- Indian Express — CJP Tiranga March dispersed in Connaught Place (October 16, 2026)
- The Tribune — Dipke among 150 detained during Tiranga march as 28K security staff stand guard (October 16, 2026)
- Hindustan Times — CJP protest LIVE: Dipke, Neha Bora among 150 detained (live blog, October 16, 2026)
- News9 / PTI — 150 protesters detained in Delhi amid ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ demonstrations (October 16, 2026)