Police take CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke to station "for tea" ahead of Mumbai protest, video goes viral

Mumbai Police took CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke from the Marine Drive area to a police station. A video of the incident is going viral on social media. In it, a woman police officer is seen saying, "Let's go have tea."

CJP has announced an agitation in Mumbai demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. According to the party, the agitation is to begin today, October 2, near Gate No. 6 of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park in Dadar. Mumbai Police have not granted permission for the agitation, but Dipke has made it clear that he is sticking to it.

The video is believed to date from Thursday evening. In it, the officer tells Dipke, "Let's have tea with you, come along." Dipke replies, "Madam, I have to go ahead. I have already had tea," and tries to leave.

The officer insists, "Won't you listen to us? Come, let's have tea." Dipke says again, "Madam, I have already had tea. I have to go. I have called for my car."

The officer again asks him to accompany her. In the video, Dipke then demands that if he is to be detained, he should be told officially. The woman officer says they are not detaining him, only asking him to have tea with them.

According to the video, Dipke and some of his associates were then put in a police vehicle and taken to Marine Drive police station. On the way, the woman officer is seen asking for his name and where he lives.

The officer asked, "What is your name?" The reply was, "Abhijeet Dipke." She asked, "Where do you live?" Dipke said, "I am from Sambhajinagar, now I live in Mumbai."

The video shows Dipke and fellow workers being made to sit in the waiting room of Marine Drive police station for a while. Shortly afterwards, the same officer returns after a phone call and says, laughing, "A call has come from above. Not even tea to be had, sir said let him go!" Everyone laughs and walks out of the station.

In the video, Dipke says, laughing, "An order must have come from above to just waste their time, keep them at the station, don't let them roam outside. So we were detained in the name of tea. They didn't even give us tea." On the way back to Marine Drive, he says, "Now we will have tea only at Marine Drive, and only with these posters!" His associates laugh at this as well.

Everyone then walked towards Marine Drive. Since the video went viral, social media has been flooded with comments. Meanwhile, CJP has announced a "Jail Bharo Andolan" at Shivaji Park at 4 pm today. Police have not given permission for it, but Dipke has taken the stand that the agitation will go ahead.