The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced plans for a fresh protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on October 10 if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not resign. The announcement came after the group’s recent protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park, where demonstrators demanded Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said supporters from across India would march to Delhi if Kumar remained in office. He also said the demonstration would be peaceful and urged people supporting what he described as free and fair elections to participate.
The proposed Delhi protest marks a new phase in the group’s campaign and comes months after its earlier agitation at Jantar Mantar over alleged examination paper leaks.
CJP Announces ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’
Dipke said that if Gyanesh Kumar did not resign, “cockroaches from across India” would march to Delhi on October 10.
He also warned that if Delhi Police attempted to stop the protesters, wherever they were stopped would become their “Jantar Mantar”.
Dipke said the proposed demonstration would follow the path of non-violent protest associated with Mahatma Gandhi. He urged the government and Delhi Police to respect the protesters’ right to demonstrate peacefully.
The CJP’s latest campaign focuses on the Election Commission and the SIR process. The group has demanded Kumar’s resignation, citing allegations of irregularities in electoral-roll revisions. These remain allegations made by the protesters and have not been established as fact.
July 20’ Police Action Recalled
In announcing the proposed Delhi protest, Dipke referred to violence during a July 20 student demonstration in the national capital.
According to the source material, thousands of students had marched towards Parliament, leading to clashes with police. Several protesters and security personnel were injured during the unrest.
Videos and images that surfaced afterward showed some protesters with pellet injuries, leading to allegations that the Rapid Action Force used metal pellets. The allegations prompted further scrutiny, and the matter reached the Supreme Court.
The court subsequently formed a high-powered committee to examine the violence and allegations of police excesses.
Dipke cited the July 20 episode while calling on authorities to avoid a repeat of what he described as “brutality” during the planned October 10 demonstration.
Mumbai Protest Draws Thousands
The announcement followed a CJP-led protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on October 2. Reports said hundreds and thousands of supporters gathered despite police denying permission for the demonstration. Reuters reported that the protest was part of a broader campaign over alleged manipulation of voter rolls.
The Mumbai demonstration also attracted prominent film personalities, including Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah and Vishal Dadlani, according to reports.
The protest featured satirical posters and slogans directed at the Chief Election Commissioner. Messages such as “Gyanu must go” were displayed at the venue, while protesters also used popular songs and cultural references to convey their demands.
Election Roll Dispute At Centre
The CJP’s campaign has been driven by its objections to the SIR process and its demand for greater accountability from the Election Commission.
The group’s allegations gained further attention following reporting by The Indian Express about disagreements within the Election Commission over aspects of the electoral-roll revision process. Reports said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections over decisions involving the SIR exercise.
The Election Commission-related claims remain contested, and the CJP’s allegations should be distinguished from established findings.
With the October 10 protest now announced, the focus shifts to whether the proposed Jantar Mantar demonstration will go ahead and how authorities respond to the planned mobilisation in Delhi.
