Delhi Police on Thursday said it could facilitate a group of 11 persons to carry the national flag and sing the anthem at Central Park in Connaught Place on October 16, a move that follows a Delhi High Court decision to allow the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest.
The court, hearing a petition from a vendor, declined to restrain the CJP and recorded the police’s pledge to take all possible measures under the law to regulate the gathering, while the Delhi Municipal Council had already closed Central Park for Oct. 16 and 17 for administrative reasons.
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the CJP, urged supporters to assemble at 5 p.m. with the tricolour, while the Aam Aadmi Party called on people to join in large numbers; traders and market associations in Connaught Place appealed to police for protection against unruly elements that could hurt business during the festive season.
Police warned that contravention of Section 163 BNSS would invite legal action, and officials said the protest would be monitored closely; the next day, authorities will enforce the park’s closure and prepare for potential detentions as the protest unfolds.