CJP to protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on October 2; Dipke challenges CM Fadnavis
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) will stage a protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday, October 2, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the initiation of criminal proceedings against him, party founder Abhijeet Dipke announced on Thursday. Addressing a press conference at the Press Club in Mumbai on October 1, Dipke said the agitation would be followed by protests in six other cities and culminate at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi by the end of October.
Planned demonstration and key demands
Dipke said the CJP has called for freezing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) roll and for making the process to appoint the CEC transparent with participation from civil society. He insisted the protest would be held at Shivaji Park, a designated silence zone, despite the police not granting permission.
“Gyanesh Kumar is a traitor. He doesn’t deserve to be the CEC. He is a puppet of Amit Shah and Narendra Modi. There have been 13 crore deletions in the voters’ list since 2024. The gap between the NDA and INDIA bloc was a mere 2% (in the 2024 elections), whereas they got rid of 14% of the vote share. There is an illusion of democracy in the country, and no actual democracy,” Dipke alleged.
He contended that those affected by alleged deletions from the electoral rolls would mobilise in large numbers. “If Gyanesh Kumar doesn’t resign, they will seek Narendra Modi’s resignation,” he said, alleging that the CEC was “winning elections” for the Prime Minister.
Permission denied; party insists on Shivaji Park
Mumbai Police have not granted permission for the CJP protest at Shivaji Park. Petitions seeking permission to hold public events at the venue are decided by the Bombay High Court, and the designated area for protests in the city is Azad Maidan. When asked if the group would approach the High Court, Dipke dismissed the option, saying, “What will happen in the court? Taareekh pe taareekh.”
Pressed on why Azad Maidan was not chosen, he replied, “We can protest anywhere. We want to protest at Shivaji Park only.”
Concerns over EVMs and call for ballot papers
Expressing apprehensions about the integrity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Dipke claimed that “all electronic machines can be hacked” and demanded that elections be conducted using paper ballots. He linked his party’s campaign to broader questions about electoral transparency and fairness.
Face-off with CM Fadnavis
Responding to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s remark about three days’ police custody for protesters, Dipke said he was prepared to face longer detention. “I don’t mind three months’ custody either,” he said. Referencing a past statement by the Chief Minister, he added in Marathi, “mi punha yein” (“I will come back”).
Criticism of courts and pending petitions
Asked why the party did not wait for the Supreme Court to hear pending petitions on alleged problems with electoral rolls and the SIR process, Dipke accused the apex court of being “equally guilty.” “Which Supreme Court? The same court which did not allow people to vote in the West Bengal elections?” he said, without providing further details. His remarks continued the party’s broader critique of institutions overseeing elections and public order.
Political positioning amid ‘B team’ accusations
Addressing speculation about the CJP’s political leanings, Dipke said the party had been accused by different sides of aiding their opponents. “Sit together and decide whose B team we are. The Congress accuses us of being a B team of the RSS and BJP. The ruling party accuses us of being a B team of the Congress,” he said.
Comments on education, representation and IIT student death
Fielding a question on reservation in education, Dipke queried why there was little scrutiny of management quota reservations. He criticised the circumstances surrounding the death by suicide of an IIT Bombay student and the continuing protest by the student’s parents to seek justice. “Many students have died in IITs. Is there enough representation? There is not. People need to be made to feel that they belong there. How can you justify that a kid can die by suicide for cheating? How inhuman can you become? Children coming from tribal areas have to go through a lot to be at such places. That the parents continue to sit on a protest to seek justice for their child is shameful,” he said.
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What’s next
Despite the lack of police permission for a demonstration at Shivaji Park, the CJP has reiterated its plan to gather there on October 2 and then expand its campaign to additional cities before a final protest at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar by month-end. It remains to be seen whether the party will seek judicial relief, relocate to Azad Maidan, or face police action if it proceeds without authorisation.
The CJP’s announcement sets up a confrontation over the site of protest and sharpens a dispute over election oversight, with Dipke’s allegations and demands centering on voter roll integrity, the role of the Election Commission leadership, and the conduct of polls using EVMs.
