The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced that it will begin a nationwide agitation from Mumbai on October 2, after its deadline seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar ended on Saturday. The decision was finalised at a CJP meeting in Delhi, according to a party member.
Azad Maidan Likely Protest Venue
The organisation is likely to hold its Mumbai protest at Azad Maidan, although the venue has not been formally finalised because police permission is still awaited. CJP national secretary Akshay Shinde said the organisation would continue seeking permission for the proposed protest.
Why Is CJP Demanding CEC’s Resignation?
CJP has been demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation amid the controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The party has cited reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections on several occasions regarding decisions connected with electoral-roll revisions. The Election Commission has maintained that decisions related to SIR were taken unanimously.
Protest Planned Across Cities
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke had earlier warned that the organisation would take its protest beyond Mumbai and organise demonstrations in other cities across India if its demand was not met.
The organisation has described the October 2 mobilisation as a nationwide campaign linked to its concerns over the electoral-roll revision process.
Other Parties Plan Separate Protests
The proposed CJP agitation comes as other political groups are also planning protests over the Election Commission and SIR.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena have announced a separate Mumbai protest for October 4, while Maharashtra Congress has planned statewide demonstrations.
The CJP protest and the separate political demonstrations are expected to keep the controversy over SIR and the Election Commission in the spotlight in the coming days.