Connaught Place Protest: New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Thursday issued a public notice announcing the closure of Central Park, Connaught Place, New Delhi, for the general public on October 16 and October 17 due to administrative reasons. The announcement of the closure comes a day before  Abhijeet Dipke's proposed protest in Connaught Place.

Delhi Police Urges Public To Stay Away

In another move, Delhi Police requested people to stay away from the Cockroach Janta Party''s (CJP) proposed ''Lehra Do Tiranga'' march at Connaught Place. However, the police authorities said they could facilitate a select group of people to wave the national flag and sing the national anthem at a suitable place.

In a statement issued, police cited prohibitory orders in force in Connaught Place and adjoining areas, while indicating that a limited number of people could be allowed to participate in the symbolic display of patriotism. Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) is already in force in the area to maintain peace and tranquillity and protect human lives as well as public and private properties, the statement said.

The NDMC informed Delhi Police its decision to keep the Central Park close. It also requested adequate security arrangements to prevent unauthorised access to the park, the statement said.

Police said various trader and market associations in Connaught Place and adjoining areas had sought protection for their establishments from unruly elements and unlawful assemblies, which could adversely affect business during the festive season.

Meanwhile, Dipke on Wednesday announced a "Lehra Do Tiranga" (Unfurl the Tricolour) protest at Central Park in Connaught Place at 5.00 pm on 16 October. The CJP founder called on "patriots" to gather at Central Park on October 16 with the national flag, alleging that CJP members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were "jailed for unfurling the tricolour".

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The call came on a day Das and Ranka were sent to five-day judicial custody and were lodged in Tihar Jail for allegedly violating their peace bonds and trespassing into Jantar Mantar, which has been denotified as a protest area.

Delhi HC refuses to stop CJP's October 16 protest at Connaught Place

Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court refused to restrain the CJP and its founder Dipke from holding a protest at Connaught Place's Central Park, even as it took on record the police's assurance that all possible steps would be taken to regulate and control the activity of the protesters.

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A bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma was hearing a plea by a Connaught Place vendor seeking a direction to the police to regulate the protest according to existing law laid down by the Supreme Court.

Traders And Vendors Warn Of Counter-Protest

The petitioner's senior counsel submitted that traders and vendors would be "on the streets" if they lost another weekend to closures due to protest in central Delhi during the festive season.

During the hearing on Thursday, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma submitted that steps have been taken to control the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)'s activities and assured that the apprehension of the petitioner would be taken care of. The court took the assurance on record.

(With Agencies Inputs)