Why Cockroach party made U-turn on plan to welcome Abhijeet Dipke at Delhi airport: 'Nobody should...'

Just two days before its planned protest at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, the satirical outfit Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Thursday urged its supporters not to receive its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, at the Delhi airport.

This is a U-turn from the CJP's previous statement urging people to show up at the Indira Gandhi International Airport to greet him ahead of the protests on June 6.

Dipke, who is flying in after completing his education from Boston, is scheduled to lead a peaceful protest against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on June 6, in the wake of recent issues with the CBSE, NEET, CUET-UG and the SSC.

However, he admitted in a video on X that he had underestimated the CJP's reach in India, saying that the overwhelming response of people who wanted to see him at the airport was "beyond our imagination".

"It is not feasible for so many people to assemble at the airport as it would cause inconvenience to the public and the security forces. So please do not come to Delhi airport," Dipke declared in the video.

He said that from the airport, he would be going to the Parliament Street Police Station to "seek permission directly" for the peaceful protest at the Jantar Mantar.

"We are law abiding citizens and have to act responsibly. So please be mindful that nobody should create any kind of disturbance."

Why does the CJP need police permission?

The Constitution protects the right to peaceful protest under Article 19, but "without arms".

However, those organising a peaceful protest are typically required to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) or some other kind of permission from the police station under whose jurisdiction it will take place.

Authorities are then expected to evaluate such requests by balancing the protesters' rights with concerns of public order, possible traffic management, and the interests of local residents.

Even if they say no to the protests, specific reasons must be provided to justify the decision. Notably, for protests in Delhi, applications generally need to be submitted at least seven days before the proposed protest (excluding the protest day itself).