Go to Pakistan if you have a problem with the tricolour: Kejriwal

AAP Convenor Arvind Kejriwal denounced activist Abhijeet Dipke's detention as 'dictatorship,' stating those against the tricolour should go to Pakistan. The remarks came after police detained protesters during a Tiranga rally in central Delhi.

Denouncing the detention of activist Abhijeet Dipke as an outright dictatorship, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday lashed out at the ruling administration and said that those who have a problem with the Indian tricolour should go to Pakistan.

AAP Leaders Question Restrictions on Hoisting Tricolour

Reacting to the police intervention following the Tiranga march near Central Park in Connaught Place, Arvind Kejriwal, in a post on X denounced the actions of the administration. “If we won't hoist the tricolour in our own country, then will we hoist it in Pakistan? Those who have a problem with the Indian tricolour should go to Pakistan,” Kejriwal wrote.

Questioning the legal grounds for restricting public displays of the national flag, Kejriwal argued that targeting activist leadership reflects deep political anxieties within the ruling dispensation. He added, “This is nothing but outright dictatorship. Is it a crime to hoist the tricolour? Abhijeet's arrest shows just how much Modi ji fears them.”

Kerriwal’s remarks came following a Tiranga rally in the national capital outside Central Park in Connaught Place and CJP activist Abhijeet Dipke's detention from the residence of NCP-SCP spokesperson Anish Gawande.

Addressing the media, Delhi AAP President Saurabh Bharadwaj defended the party's mobilisation, highlighting earlier displays in front of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. "A call was given for a 'Tiranga Yatra', and we are prepared, carrying hundreds of Tricolours. Today, we will hoist the national flag in areas across Central Delhi. Earlier this morning, our young colleagues unfurled a 270-foot-long Tricolour in front of the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Parliament,” Bharadwaj told ANI.

Continuing his critique of the security restrictions placed on public assemblies, Bharadwaj questioned the underlying motivations of the ruling party in restricting flag-hoisting campaigns. He said, “We believe that in an independent nation, there is nothing wrong with hoisting one's own country's flag. What does the Bharatiya Janata Party want—should we be hoisting the flags of Pakistan, Bangladesh, or America instead? If the people of India are hoisting the flag of their own country, why is that a problem?"

Over 150 Protesters Detained Amid Heavy Security

These remarks come after Delhi Police detained several protestors protesting near Mandi House, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The AAP leaders and workers also took out a Tiranga rally in the national capital.

On Friday, Delhi Police detained around 150 demonstrators during protests and a planned "Lehra Do Tiranga" march in central Delhi, officials said. The unrest unfolded as protesters, joined by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and workers, took out a Tiranga rally outside Central Park in Connaught Place. Concurrently, workers from the All India Students' Association (AISA) and Left parties staged a demonstration near Mandi House demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Citing lack of official permission, restricted zones such as Connaught Place's Central Park, and prohibitory orders against mass gatherings, authorities deployed over 6,000 personnel from Delhi Police and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).

Legal Grounds for Detention

Preemptive police action targeted key activists ahead of the demonstrations. Delhi Police detained CJP activist Abhijeet Dipke from the residence of NCP-SCP spokesperson Anish Gawande. A police official informed Dipke during the arrest, stating, “We are placing you under preventive detention. Section 163 is in force in Connaught Place. You are being detained.”

Authorities have served two separate notices on Dipke citing legal restrictions. The first is a notice under Section 163 of the BNSS issued by the New Delhi district under the Delhi Police Act, which legally bars him from visiting Central Park due to restrictions on public assembly in the area. The second is a bond violation notice issued by the South-West Delhi district, referring to a prior preventive action involving Dipke, Ashutosh and Saurav. The trio had earlier been detained at the airport and produced before a court, and are now alleged to have violated a one-year undertaking to maintain public peace.

Police Review Security, Issue Traffic Advisory

Protesters took out a Tiranga rally outside Central Park in Connaught Place amid heightened security on Friday. AAP leaders and workers also joined the rally.

Earlier, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar met senior police officers to review security arrangements and assess the overall situation ahead of the proposed ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ rally in the national capital.

On CJP's ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ protest, Additional CP (Traffic) DK Gupta said, "The traffic police have issued a detailed advisory. Areas around Connaught Place are likely to be affected. We have deployed our personnel across these zones to regulate traffic. Should any disruptions occur, we will implement timely diversions to ensure the public faces minimal inconvenience and traffic continues to flow smoothly. We are definitely monitoring social media as well. If we receive any inputs regarding potential disruptions on the ground, we will implement timely diversions to keep traffic moving. Our primary objective is to ensure that commuters do not face any difficulties. We request that all commuters follow our traffic advisory. If any disruptions occur, we will implement diversions; therefore, we advise people to plan their travel accordingly, keeping these updates in mind." (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)