Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, told reporters late on Thursday that he would accept arrest if Delhi Police detain him for waving the Tiranga. 'We are ready to go to jail to wave the national flag,' he said, adding that the Intelligence Bureau had been watching him and that unmarked vehicles had been tailing him. Dipke added that the police could arrest him tonight or tomorrow morning, but that his supporters would still march peacefully. He called on supporters to gather at Central Park in Connaught Place at 5 p.m. on October 16. The call comes after the Delhi High Court denied a restraining order against his protest.
The New Delhi Municipal Council announced that Central Park would be closed on October 16 and 17, citing the protest. Six thousand Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel have been assigned to the area, with officials warning that anyone breaking the law would face action. The police have also issued a prohibitory order under Section 163 of the BNSS, allowing only a group of eleven people to carry the flag and sing the anthem at a suitable place.
Despite the court ruling that allows the demonstration, Delhi Police appealed to the public not to join the assembly, citing the security risk. The police said they would regulate the gathering but would enforce the court's closure of the park. The protest is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday, while the police are prepared to enforce the order. The police have also warned that any attempt to defy the prohibition could result in arrest.
In Mumbai, the Cockroach Janta Party has called for a protest at Azad Maidan from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in solidarity with jailed party leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das. Mumbai police have granted permission, as Azad Maidan is a designated protest site. Das and Ranka were sent to five‑day judicial custody after trespassing Delhi's Jantar Mantar and raising slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The protest will go ahead at 5 p.m. on Thursday, with police ready to enforce the court‑ordered closure of Central Park.