SRI VIJAYA PURAM | OCTOBER 16, 2026
Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) members K. Vishwanathan and Ankit Tigga displayed the Indian national flag near Netaji Stadium in Sri Vijaya Puram on Friday, expressing solidarity with party members Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, who were detained in New Delhi following a protest at Jantar Mantar.
The symbolic display took place at the historic location associated with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s unfurling of the Tricolour on December 30, 1943, during India’s freedom struggle. The Andaman and Nicobar Administration’s Department of Art and Culture identifies the original site opposite Andaman Club, where the present Netaji Stadium stands.
Vishwanathan said displaying the national flag in a democratic country should not be treated as a crime. The action was intended to express solidarity with Ranka and Das and question the circumstances surrounding their detention.
CJP demands permanent flag display at historic location
The CJP members called for a permanent national flag display at the historic location, arguing that the site’s significance in India’s freedom struggle deserves visible and lasting recognition.
The demand draws attention to the distinction between the original flag-hoisting location near Netaji Stadium and Flag Point at South Point, where the annual commemorative ceremony has been held since 2018.
According to the Department of Art and Culture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the national flag at Flag Point on December 30, 2018, marking the 75th anniversary of Netaji’s historic act. The department states that the annual commemorative function subsequently shifted to Flag Point.
The precise arrangement for permanent flag display at the original location should be distinguished from the annual ceremony. The CJP members’ demand raises questions about how the original site is commemorated and what additional recognition, if any, the authorities may consider.
Solidarity with detained party members
The display in Sri Vijaya Puram comes amid a wider controversy involving CJP members Ranka and Das.
Reuters reported that the two were placed in five-day judicial custody after entering the Jantar Mantar protest site and violating restrictions associated with the protest venue. The party said the action was connected to its protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and its demand for his resignation.
The circumstances of the detention are separate from the historical question raised by the Andaman demonstration. The CJP members presented their flag display as an expression of solidarity and democratic dissent.
A question of historical recognition
Netaji’s December 30, 1943, flag-hoisting ceremony remains a significant part of the islands’ history. The Administration’s own historical account identifies the site near the present Netaji Stadium as the original location, while Flag Point has become the venue for the annual commemoration.
By displaying the Tricolour and demanding a permanent flag arrangement at the historic location, Vishwanathan and Tigga have brought renewed attention to how that history is represented in public spaces.
The question now is whether the Administration will respond to the demand and clarify the existing arrangements for flag display and commemoration at the original site.