MUMBAI — Thousands of people gathered at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday for a protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), with demonstrators calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
https://x.com/CJP_for_India/status/2105988055056388583?s=20
The turnout came despite police denying permission for the gathering. Young protesters arrived at the iconic central Mumbai ground carrying the national flag and placards with messages questioning the functioning of the Election Commission and calling on Kumar to step down.
Among the slogans displayed at the protest were, “Gyanu, Tujha Democracy Var Bharosa Nay Kay?”, “Gyanesh BRO, JUST RESIGN” and “Gaddaar Gyaanu Must Go”.
The gathering drew a number of well-known personalities and activists, including actors Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, singer Vishal Dadlani and activist Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.
Members and activists associated with student organisations including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students’ Federation (AISF) were also present.
The protest was held amid a heavy security deployment in and around Shivaji Park. Police barricaded routes leading from the nearby Dadar railway station and deployed personnel across the area as protesters made their way to the ground.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have extended support to the agitation. The Dadar-Shivaji Park area has traditionally been associated with both parties and has hosted several major political gatherings over the years.
Police officials said they were monitoring the situation closely to maintain law and order and prevent disruption to traffic in the area.
Addressing the gathering, CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke referred to the party’s earlier agitation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the alleged NEET examination paper leak and described Friday’s protest as the launch of “Season 2”. He also challenged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to arrest the protesters.
The CJP is demanding greater transparency in the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and has called for the 2025 electoral roll to be frozen, arguing that it should not be altered further.
The party announced the Mumbai protest following media reports concerning disagreements within the Election Commission over decisions linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
According to those reports, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on at least 14 occasions over a period of 10 months concerning certain decisions and orders related to the SIR, with some objections reportedly stating that the decisions had been issued without their knowledge.
The Election Commission has rejected any suggestion of a split in decision-making, stating that the three-member commission took decisions, including those concerning the SIR, unanimously.
Earlier on Friday, Dipke paid floral tributes at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in south Mumbai to mark Gandhi Jayanti before heading to the protest venue.
The CJP has maintained that its campaign is aimed at seeking greater transparency in the functioning of the electoral system and accountability from the Election Commission.
