‘Arrest me, detain me’: CJP's Abhijeet Dipke defies Delhi Police ban, says October 10 Jantar Mantar protest will go ahead

NEW DELHI: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activist Abhijeet Dipke on Friday said the organisation would go ahead with its October 10 protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar despite Delhi Police denying permission, adding that its members were prepared to face arrest.Slamming the restrictions imposed ahead of the demonstration, Dipke questioned the decision to curtail public transport and said the measures would cause inconvenience to ordinary commuters.“What is this fear? Why are you this scared? You are scared of the youth in the country. You shut down trains, you shut down metro, what should one do?” he said.Dipke also questioned the government’s justification for the restrictions, arguing that shutting down metro services, cancelling trains and blocking roads would create the very inconvenience authorities cited as a concern.“Is Delhi a property of Narendra Modi or Amit Shah? Is this their ancestral property? Is this their paternal property? On one hand, you say that due to the protest, people are facing inconvenience, and on the other hand, you shut down all the metro, you shut down all the railways, you block all the roads. Now, won't there be inconvenience for people?” he said.Asserting that the activists would not back down, Dipke challenged the authorities to detain or arrest them.“How many people will they detain? Arrest me, detain me! Saurabh is ready, Ashutosh is ready. Arrest me, detain me!” he said.Dipke questioned the need for police permission to hold a demonstration at Jantar Mantar, which is a designated protest site. Referring to Article 19 of the Constitution, he argued that the proposed demonstration was an exercise of the activists’ constitutional rights.He also raised questions about Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and alleged changes relating to Form 6, asking why permission should be required to protest against the poll authority.“Did Gyanesh Kumar take permission? Before deleting 13 crore votes, did Gyanesh Kumar take permission? The Supreme Court didn't even give approval for the Form 6 modification. So, when Gyanesh Kumar, without telling anyone, without asking anyone, deletes 13 crore votes, then to protest against him, the constitutional right we have according to Article 19, what is the need for permission?” he said.Dipke further criticised the government over the restrictions, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah should be concerned about the opposition being voiced by young people.“The government is very serious. I think Narendra Modi and Amit Shah should keep checking their blood pressure. The kind of fear this government is showing,” he said.Why Delhi Police denied permissionDelhi Police has denied permission for the October 10 protest, citing the short notice, alleged non-compliance with directions during an earlier demonstration and concerns over public safety, law and order and traffic management.Joint commissioner of police Nupur Prasad said the New Delhi district received an application on October 7 from Saurabh Das, CJP co-convener, informing the police about the proposed demonstration seeking accountability from the Chief Election Commissioner.Prasad said the notice was submitted too close to the planned date, as the prescribed guidelines require applications to be received at least 10 days before a protest.She also alleged that CJP members had failed to comply with lawful directions and undertakings given during an earlier protest for which permission had been granted.“In the New Delhi area, Section 163 of the BNSS (Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita) is in operation, under which, to maintain public order and safety, a reasonable preventive restriction is in place,” Prasad said.She warned that legal action would be taken against anyone violating the provisions of Section 163 of the BNSS.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in DelhiStay updated with the latest Delhi news. Download the TOI App.