Delhi Police detained Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, as his group marched through Connaught Place on Monday. The 150‑strong protest, dubbed "Lehra Do Tiranga", echoed "Jai Hind" and sang the national anthem amid a sea of tricolours. Dipke was caught outside his Jhandewalan residence before the march could gain traction.
The party’s call for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and rollback of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls drew crowds of students and AISA members. In Mumbai, activists met at Azad Maidan demanding electoral reforms, while in Bengaluru the march started from Town Hall under heavy police presence. In all three cities, authorities issued prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, closing Central Park and restricting gatherings around Connaught Place.
Opposition figures slammed the police action. Former Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee labelled Dipke’s detention an "undeclared Emergency", while AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal urged the government to respect the tricolour. DMK president M.K. Stalin demanded immediate release and criticised the suppression of peaceful dissent.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court declined to grant an urgent stay on the protest, citing concerns over public order and commercial activity. The ruling leaves the police to maintain control over the demonstrations and Dipke remains in custody pending further legal proceedings.