Abhijit Dipke, who established the Cockroach Janta Party, announced plans for a nationwide flag-bearing procession under the banner "Lehra Do Tiranga," scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, 16 October 2026, with participants invited to assemble at Central Park in Connaught Place, Delhi, at 5 p.m., each carrying the national flag.

Five days of judicial custody were handed to Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, both co-conveners of the CJP, on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, over their reported presence at Jantar Mantar — a development that prompted the call for the protest march.

Central Park's gates were set to remain closed to visitors across Friday and Saturday, 16–17 October, with the New Delhi Municipal Council citing administrative grounds for the closure and Delhi Police deploying additional personnel throughout the surrounding area.

Dipke posted on X urging both local and out-of-town supporters to take part, stating that hoisting the national flag ought not to be treated as a punishable act. The call came despite Central Park being off-limits under a New Delhi Municipal Council directive and Delhi Police having imposed limits on public gatherings. He also encouraged those outside the capital to organise their own Tiranga marches in their respective cities.

Hours before the planned demonstration was due to begin, Dipke found more than 20 Delhi police officers at his door, presenting him with a formal notice that barred any gathering he might arrange at Connaught Place that Friday.

Ahead of the planned march, roughly 6,000 officers from the Delhi police force joined 220 units of Central Armed Police Forces personnel on the ground, while an expanded network of CCTV cameras extended the city's monitoring reach across New Delhi. Deployment of security measures stretched across Connaught Place, Rajiv Chowk, Central Park, Jantar Mantar, Palika Bazaar, a cluster of nearby Metro stations, and additional locations throughout Lutyens' Delhi.

Officers drawn from neighbouring districts were deployed to help maintain order. Physical barriers were erected at a number of points across the city, among them Connaught Place, Patel Chowk, ITO, and Sansad Marg. Each rotation brought thirty CAPF companies onto duty, with the day structured around three such rotations in total. Numbers on the ground were set to increase as circumstances required — whether crowds gathered in larger numbers or the protest extended past nightfall.

More than ten surveillance cameras were deployed at positions inside and around both Central Park and Rajiv Chowk, with footage retained to document the crowd and capture any rule breaches or unexpected developments.

A travel notice issued by Delhi Traffic Police directed commuters to avoid multiple roads in and around the Connaught Place area. Drivers heading into and through the neighbourhood were advised to expect congestion beginning at 3 p.m. Among the thoroughfares facing anticipated movement restrictions were Sansad Marg, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Marg, Panchkuian Road, Basant Lane, Chelmsford Road, Minto Road, Barakhamba Road, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Janpath, Rail Bhawan, Rafi Marg, the C-Hexagon, Mandi House, Patel Chowk, Windsor Place, Gole Dak Khana, the stretch of Ashok Road running from GPO to the C-Hexagon, Tilak Marg, Tolstoy Marg, and Sikandra Road.

Commuters were urged to allow extra journey time and switch to public transport where possible, with road diversions set to be put in place as conditions required. No announcement came from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation regarding station closures tied to the march.

Under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), restrictions covering Connaught Place and its surrounding areas were put in place with the stated aim of safeguarding lives, property, and public order. Residents were advised to keep away from the planned procession, though the force noted that a small group might be permitted to gather at an assigned location to hoist the national flag and join in the national anthem.

Prohibitory orders covering the affected area remained active, Delhi Police announced on Thursday, 15 October 2026, adding that anyone found in breach of those directives would face legal consequences. Proper handling of the national flag — including how it is carried and displayed — along with correct performance of the national anthem, was outlined in the document as a matter of protocol.

Plans for the march took shape while the CJP and Delhi Police remained at an impasse over gatherings directed at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Two individuals — Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka — were taken into custody over claims that they entered Jantar Mantar without authorisation, breached the terms of their bond, and interfered with officers carrying out their duties. Detention at Tihar Jail followed for the group.

A day before the detentions, Delhi Police had removed Jantar Mantar from its list of venues authorised for public protests and gatherings. Holding the national flag, the Chief Justice made his way back to the venue following the de-notification.

Among those who voiced reactions to the arrests were a number of Opposition figures — Rahul Gandhi, Supriya Sule, Mamata Banerjee, Mahua Moitra, Arvind Kejriwal, and M.K. Stalin, among others. Each posted a message on X voicing support for the CJP leaders.