New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Friday (October 16) clamped down brutally on dissent in the national capital, responding to Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) call to unfurl the tricolour at 5 pm at Central Park in Connaught Place with extraordinary security measures and preventive detentions. Yet citizens have kept the “Lehra do Tiranga” protest going, fearlessly unfurling the national flag and resisting attempts at repression.By now, all three top CJP founders and leaders as well as student leader and AISA activist Neha Bora are in police custody. Abhijeet Dipke was preemptively detained earlier this afternoon, while Bora was picked up and taken away to a yet-undisclosed location.People have, however, persisted in their pursuit of government accountability. Unvanquished, they are facing thousands of security personnel to protest the irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the disproportionate and unjustified state power used to suppress dissent.Dipke, who was detained by the police on his way to central park, gave the call for Friday’s protest in response to the arrest of CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das for waving the national flag in Jantar Mantar.A protester is painted in the Indian flag’s colours and another holds up the flag, in central Delhi, October 16, 2026. Photo: Jahnavi Sen.Protesters in central Delhi unfurling the tricolour, October 16, 2026. Photo: Ankit Raj.Heavy police and security personnel deployment in the national capital to ‘control’ peaceful protesters planning to unfurl of the national flag and exercise their right to protest. Photo: Seema Chishti.A riot control vehicle stationed in front of the national flag at the central park in Connaught Place. Photo: Shome Basu.A protester holding a placard reading, “The reason for our headache is four men,” with photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagat and CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Photo: Ankit Raj.A protester holding a sign advocating to reinstate Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. Photo: Ankit Raj.A protester holding the national flag and wearing a mask with the words “Resign Gyanu” in central Delhi. Photo: Jahnavi Sen.Protesters hold the national flag and placards during a protest against Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his resignation over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls, at Mandi House, Oct. 16, 2026. Photo: PTI/Salman Ali.People raise slogans outside an entry gate of Rajiv chowk metro station, Oct. 16, 2026. Photo: PTI/Karma Bhutia.