Go ahead, hang me: Abhijeet Dipke as Delhi Police shows up at his residence
NEW DELHI, OCT 16 : On Thursday night, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke predicted that he might be detained ahead of the outfit’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march in central Delhi. His prediction came true as a defiant Dipke was detained by Delhi Police on Friday as he proceeded towards Central Park in Connaught Place.
It came after an hours-long drama that unfolded when cops showed up at the residence where Dipke was staying in Jhandewalan and served him a notice asking him not to attend the march. The development marks the latest confrontation between the CJP and Delhi Police amid the outfit’s protest against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) over alleged SIR irregularities.
Visuals showed a dozen Delhi Police officers, including a substantial number of women cops, arriving at the residence in Central Delhi. Dipke, dressed in a white T-shirt with an image of Mahatma Gandhi printed on it, is seen sitting at his residence with a Tricolour draped around his shoulders, seen as a form of silent protest. A police officer is seen sitting beside him.
“You are just writing down whatever you feel like. This is ridiculous. Phansi pe chadha do na. Kya mazak hai ye (Hang me. What kind of a joke is this),” Dipke is heard telling the police officer. “Show me video proof that I talked about violence,” he challenges the cop.
He is seen arguing with the police officer that he never gave a call for a protest. “We are not going to hold a protest. There won’t be any loudspeakers. We will only unfurl the Tricolour. Is that also not allowed?” Dipke further said.
In another video, Dipke is seen signing some documents, possibly a peace bond. Sources said Dipke was served a notice under Section 29 of the Delhi Police Act. Under it, the police are entitled to issue directions to the public for the maintenance of public order.
Section 29 itself does not state that the police can unconditionally ban any protest. “You are prohibited from holding any form of demonstration or public rally… within the vicinity of Connaught Place,” the notice stated.
There has been, however, no official statement from Delhi Police on whether Dipke has been detained or put under house arrest.
CJP’S TIRANGA MARCH CALL
The development comes a day after Dipke called on people to assemble at Central Park in Delhi’s Connaught Place – one of the biggest shopping hubs – at 5 pm carrying the national flag.
The appeal followed the arrest of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka earlier this week for trespassing into Jantar Mantar, which has been denotified as a protest site.
Das and Ranka sneaked through the tight security cordon and unfurled the Tricolour near Jantar Mantar. They were sent to five days of judicial custody on Wednesday.
Dipke, who arrived in Delhi from Mumbai on Thursday, told the media in a late-night press conference that vehicles without number plates were following him and Intelligence Bureau (IB) personnel were monitoring his residence.
The CJP founder emphasised that he was prepared to go to jail for waving the national flag, challenging the cops to treat the act as a crime.
In prophetic remarks, Dipke said he might be detained. “Delhi Police can detain me tonight or tomorrow morning, but I want to tell Narendra Modi that we are not going to be scared by this,” he said.
“Why does the Prime Minister hate the Tiranga so much? If he hates the Tiranga, does he deserve to be the Prime Minister?” the CJP founder further said.
Dipke, Das and Ranka were previously detained on October 10 ahead of their Jantar Mantar 2.0 call. Dramatic scenes unfolded as the CJP leaders were taken into custody from inside the aircraft just as their flight landed at Delhi’s IGI Airport.
They were released later after signing a peace bond, which stated that they would maintain peace and good behaviour for one year.
CENTRAL DELHI TURNS INTO FORTRESS
Meanwhile, Connaught Place has virtually turned into a fortress ahead of the CJP’s march, with around 6,000 cops and paramilitary personnel deployed at every nook and corner.
Prohibitory orders banning the gathering of five or more people have been imposed, while the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has shut down Central Park – the proposed protest site – for two days.
The matter also reached the Delhi High Court on Thursday, with Delhi Police assuring that it would take all necessary measures to maintain law and order.
While no permission has been given for the CJP march, police said a select group of 11 individuals could be allowed to sing the National Anthem while holding the national flag at a suitable location.
-PTI
