CJP Protest on October 2: The Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP is planning a yet another protest in Mumbai on Gandhi Jayanti, on October 2. The group says it will target Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and question how the Election Commission of India is working.
Kumar’s removal is the main request. Still, the protesters have also asked for shifts in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. They also want changes in the rules used for appointing Election Commissioners.
CJP says the event will take place at Shivaji Park, Gate No. 6, starting at 4 pm. This timing was shared by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke. Mumbai Police, though, has not approved the plan at Shivaji Park.
In September, CJP leaders, such as Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka listed three demands.
1. Resignation of Gyanesh Kumar And Action In Court
The first demand asks for CEC Gyanesh Kumar to step down. CJP also calls for criminal action against him. The group wants a clear answer on who gave approval for the choices that CJP has questioned.
CJP’s claims are the group’s demands. They are not facts that have been proven. The Election Commission has said there is no evidence of a collapse in the system.
2. Freeze SIR and Restore the January 2025 Electoral Rolls
The second major demand concerns the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. CJP has demanded:
The dispute started after reports said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi objected to parts of how the voter list was being updated. Later, the Election Commission of India said its main calls on SIR were backed by all three commissioners. It also said that different views during internal talks are normal for an institution.
3. Repeal Of The 2023 Law and Election Commission Reforms
CJP wants the repeal of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.
CJP also wants a fresh method for picking Election Commissioners. It says the choice should be clear and free from outside control. It also wants civil society to take part in that selection.
CJP first said it would launch a nationwide protest. It would begin in Mumbai on October 2 if Gyanesh Kumar did not step down.
The group picked that day because it is Gandhi Jayanti. It has also said the Mumbai rally will mark the start of a larger push.
The organisation has subsequently indicated plans for demonstrations in cities including Bengaluru, Goa, Kolkata, Patna and Ranchi.
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The protest has also triggered a separate dispute over the venue. Mumbai Police denied permission for the gathering at Shivaji Park, citing restrictions linked to a 2013 Bombay High Court order, as well as concerns involving traffic, noise and the site’s silence-zone status. Police also said organisers had not submitted the required BMC permission for use of the ground.
CJP has nevertheless said it plans to proceed with the October 2 programme and has referred to it as a “Jail Bharo Andolan” if authorities prevent the demonstration.
“Mumbai Police has also denied permission for our protest on 2nd October. Such tactics to suppress citizens’ voices are unacceptable. If we are denied the right to protest, CJP will launch a Jail Bharo Andolan in Mumbai on Gandhi Jayanti,” Dipke said. “By the end of October, the protest movement will reach the national level,” the spokesperson said at the press conference.
The Election Commission said the Election Commission has not stopped working, despite claims to the contrary. It reacted after news came in about objections raised by two Election Commissioners. The ECI said that disagreement among members is normal in a panel that has to deliberate, since it is made up of several commissioners.
The Commission also said it will review the software used for voter rolls. It will include input from a senior election officer and an independent expert in technology.
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