CJP Announces October 10 Jantar Mantar Protest If Gyanesh Kumar Does Not Resign

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has announced a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on October 10 if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not resign, with party convenor Abhijit Dipke calling on supporters from across India to join the demonstration over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

According to The Hindu, Dipke said the protest would be peaceful and that the party would march to Jantar Mantar on Saturday, October 10, if Kumar does not resign. He also said the government and Delhi Police would have to decide whether to respect the protesters’ right to peaceful protest or repeat what he described as the “brutality” witnessed on July 20.

“If Gyanesh Kumar doesn’t resign, cockroaches from across India will march to Delhi & protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10,” he posted on X. “If Delhi Police tries to stop us, wherever they stop us will become our Jantar Mantar.”

“We will walk on the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi,” Mr. Dipke said.

He added that it is up to the government and the Delhi Police whether they “respect our right to peaceful protest or repeat the brutality we witnessed on July 20”.

“This is a fight to save our democracy. Every citizen who wants free & fair elections must join,” he added in a post on X.

The announcement follows the CJP’s protest outside Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday, October 2, against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the SIR exercise. The Hindu reported that the party has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and subsequent criminal proceedings against him to establish who gave the orders for the exercise.

The CJP has also demanded that the SIR process be frozen and the January 2025 voters’ list restored. It has called for the repeal of the 2023 law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners and demanded a new transparent mechanism for appointments with civil society participation.

The October 10 announcement also comes after a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, where over 500 people, including former Chief Minister Atishi, were detained by the Delhi Police at a peaceful protest.