Mumbai: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), led by founder Abhijeet Dipke, has announced plans to expand its protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to Goa, Bengaluru and Kolkata, with the agitation to continue until Kumar resigns, according to the announcement made at a press conference in Mumbai on Thursday.
The announcement comes ahead of the CJP’s planned ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on October 2. Dipke and other CJP leaders have demanded action against Kumar and criticised the Election Commission’s handling of electoral-roll issues, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
CJP Plans Protests Across Multiple Cities
At the press conference, CJP leaders said that after the Mumbai protest, demonstrations would be held in Goa, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Ranchi, before the movement reaches Jantar Mantar later in the month.
Dipke also appealed to political parties to join the agitation but said the CJP would not be part of INDIA bloc protests.
Protests Linked to Electoral Roll Revision
The CJP has been raising objections to the Election Commission’s electoral-roll revision process and has questioned the handling of voter deletions under the SIR exercise.
Dipke cited an Indian Express investigation concerning an alleged internal rift within the poll body over SIR-related voter deletions as the trigger for the Mumbai protest. The CJP has also raised broader concerns about the functioning of the Election Commission and demanded changes in the process of selecting election commissioners.
The allegations and demands are those of the CJP; they do not by themselves establish wrongdoing by the Election Commission or Gyanesh Kumar.
CJP Says Agitation Will Continue
Dipke said the protest movement would continue until Gyanesh Kumar resigns. The CJP has also announced plans for protests in other cities as part of its wider campaign.