Two young activists taken into custody by Delhi Police during protests over contested election results drew public backing from a number of well-known opposition figures on Friday. Authorities took Abhijeet Dipke, who leads the Cockroach Janta Party, and Neha Bora, head of the All India Students Association, into custody as hundreds of people assembled at multiple locations across central Delhi — including Connaught Place and Mandi House — as part of a wider pattern of protest activity unfolding across the city.

Authorities took Dipke into custody at his Jhandewalan home before he could make his way to Connaught Place, where organisers had scheduled a flag-hoisting programme under the name 'Lehra Do Tiranga'. Police took Neha Bora into custody near Mandi House as she travelled toward Jantar Mantar — a location that authorities had stripped of its designated protest status in the days before her arrest.

According to information provided by law enforcement sources, Dipke was being held at Jafarpur Kalan police station. According to a statement from AISA, Bora was being kept in isolation at the Anti-Narcotic Task Force's Manglapuri office.

A team of more than 20 officers from Delhi Police arrived at Dipke's residence that morning, handing over a formal notice instructing him to avoid taking any steps that might affect the rights of citizens, traders, commuters, patients, and other members of the public. Prohibitory orders covering the Connaught Place area were in effect, according to the document, and the New Delhi Municipal Council had not granted authorisation for the planned Tiranga Yatra.

Officers explained to Dipke that carrying the national flag broke no law, yet organising an unauthorised procession or drawing together a crowd would cross into prohibited territory. Dipke stated that he could not travel to New Delhi but that other destinations remained open to him, and he questioned which law had been broken.

Across a range of locations, roughly 100 individuals had been taken into custody by Friday evening. According to a police spokesperson, the gatherings had not received official authorisation and may have run afoul of the Flag Code. Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar carried out a security inspection at Parliament Street police station, assessing the arrangements in place.

Rapid Action Force units took up positions inside Central Park at Connaught Place, while additional security personnel established a perimeter around the area. Additional Commissioner Rajeev Ranjan noted that the Flag Code sets out clear obligations around the respectful display of the national flag, with those provisions accessible to the public. He described the posting of personal details of officers on duty to social media as both wrong and against the law.

Authorities later confirmed that while roughly 100 people were taken into custody across Barakhamba Road, Mandi House, and nearby areas, no detentions took place at Connaught Place Inner Circle. Those taking part were free to carry the Tricolour throughout the event. Metro stations, markets, internet access, and road traffic all held to their usual patterns, according to officials.

Demonstrators covered three laps around the Inner Circle at Connaught Place during a procession lasting between 15 and 20 minutes, keeping away from the Central Park area throughout.

On the social media platform X, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee raised questions about Delhi Police conduct, writing that Abhijeet Dipke had been detained for carrying the Indian National Flag. Banerjee's statement described young people as being taken into custody for non-violent expressions of democratic participation and characterised the situation as resembling an unannounced suspension of civil liberties. She alleged that the BJP-led central government and the Election Commission had coordinated efforts to marginalise the political participation of younger voters.

Banerjee's written communication, directed to Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, and Saurav Das — three individuals held in custody on account of their roles in CJP — described them as carrying the aspirations, ethical consciousness, and resolve that she associated with India's younger generation.

DMK leader MK Stalin raised questions about where the detained activists were being held, stating through a post on X that keeping them in custody without disclosing their location ran contrary to legal norms and basic humanitarian standards. He called on the Union Government to order their release and urged Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to vacate the post.

AAP's Arvind Kejriwal described the measures as authoritarian on social media, raising the question of whether displaying the national flag could be treated as a punishable act. Kejriwal also asserted on social media that Abhijeet's detention reflected the government's apprehension toward the group, and separately questioned why citizens would need to justify flying the national flag on home soil.

BJP described the gatherings as attempts to disrupt public order, with party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi arguing that participants were acting on instructions from outside the country rather than out of genuine democratic motivation. The party further maintained that the fraud allegations reflected Congress's unwillingness to accept the election result. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had not publicly commented on the matter at the point of reporting, even though he had led his own marches over the previous two weeks and characterised the various demonstrations as part of one connected movement. A police officer told a news channel that Dipke and Bora were among those taken into custody.

No disturbances were reported in the area, with conditions described as calm. A group of demonstrators made their way to Connaught Place, where authorities indicated that dispersal efforts were underway. Authorities stated that the aim centred on preserving public order while keeping traffic flowing without disruption.