Hours before the Cockroach Janta Party’s much-publicised “Lehra Do Tiranga” march was due to begin, Delhi Police turned up at founder Abhijeet Dipke’s door with a notice telling him not to hold it.

More than 20 police personnel reached the house where Dipke is staying and handed him a notice barring a protest in Connaught Place on Friday, officials said. The march was scheduled for 5 pm at Central Park.

Why police say the march can’t go ahead

Police have not granted permission, pointing to prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. These bar mass gatherings in Connaught Place and neighbouring areas. They have, however, offered to help a select group of protesters wave the national flag at an alternative location.

The New Delhi Municipal Council has meanwhile said Central Park will remain closed to the public on October 16 and 17 for “administrative reasons”. Its notice, issued on Thursday, a day after Dipke announced the march, also asked the police to prevent any unauthorised entry into the park, describing it as an iconic and sensitive public space.

The Delhi Traffic Police has advised commuters to avoid Connaught Place and nearby roads from 3 pm. Reports say around 6,000 police personnel have been deployed.

Dipke: “Ready to go to jail”

Dipke has said he is ready to go to jail for waving the national flag, and accused the police of intimidation ahead of the march. He had called on people to gather at Central Park on Friday evening to unfurl the Tricolour, saying the protest was against the Centre’s handling of the controversy around Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The AAP also gave a similar call to its supporters.

The courts and the traders

The route to Connaught Place was already contested on Thursday. A public interest litigation raised concerns that the CJP’s march could disrupt business activity in the area. The Delhi High Court declined to restrain the CJP and Dipke from protesting at Central Park, but took on record the police’s assurance that it would take all possible steps to regulate the demonstration. Traders in Connaught Place have also urged a ban on demonstrations in the area.

The political reaction

The BJP has alleged that foreign interests are fuelling the movement. One report quotes the party naming Elon Musk, a claim it has not backed with evidence in what I could verify. The CJP has said it is an independent platform for young people and is not affiliated with any political party.

Why Friday’s march matters

The rally is the latest in a series of protests that began with the October 10 demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Two CJP activists, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, remain in judicial custody after being arrested for crossing barricades there. Dipke’s own plan for Friday turns on a simple image: people waving the national flag in the heart of Delhi. Whether that happens, and where, will be the real test of the police’s approach.

What to watch

Whether Dipke is detained before 5 pm, how many people turn up at the alternative site, and how the Opposition responds are the key questions. The Supreme Court is also hearing the Opposition’s petition on the electoral roll revision, so the dispute is playing out on the streets and in court at once.

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