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CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke to lead the party’s Jail Bharo Andolan against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park. (Img: Pinterest
Mumbai: Shivaji Park became the centre of attention on Gandhi Jayanti as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) pressed ahead with its Jail Bharo Andolan against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar despite police restrictions. The protest has gained national attention amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) controversy, questions over electoral-roll changes and a wider debate over the functioning of the Election Commission.
Led by founder Abhijeet Dipke, the CJP is demanding Kumar’s resignation, action over what it alleges are irregularities in electoral rolls and greater transparency in the appointment of future election commissioners. The group has also announced plans to take its campaign to several other cities.
The CJP scheduled its main Mumbai protest for 4 pm near Gate No. 6 of Shivaji Park in Dadar. The choice of Gandhi Jayanti was presented by the organisation as a symbolic reference to Mahatma Gandhi and the history of public protest and civil resistance. CJP has sought to frame its campaign around voter rights, electoral transparency and accountability in the Election Commission.
The Mumbai protest is the first major phase of the organisation’s nationwide campaign against Gyanesh Kumar. The group has said it will continue its agitation beyond Mumbai, with planned programmes in cities including Goa, Bengaluru and Kolkata before a larger mobilisation in New Delhi.
The confrontation intensified after Mumbai Police denied permission for the planned protest at Shivaji Park. Authorities have cited legal and administrative restrictions governing public gatherings at the venue, including the area’s silence-zone status and a 2013 Bombay High Court order.
The CJP has rejected the move and announced a Jail Bharo Andolan, saying its supporters are prepared to face detention as part of the campaign.
Dipke was briefly taken to the Marine Drive police station on Thursday after gathering with supporters carrying placards. He was subsequently released.
The dispute over permission has become a major part of the protest story, with the CJP presenting the police restrictions as an attempt to prevent its campaign while authorities have cited restrictions governing the venue.
Security was stepped up significantly around Shivaji Park and Dadar ahead of the planned mobilisation. Mumbai Police and railway authorities deployed personnel around the iconic ground and Dadar railway station. Women police personnel and other security teams were also positioned at strategic points.
Barricades were placed at several entry points, while police monitored traffic and movement around the area. The deployment was aimed at preventing any untoward incident, managing crowds and ensuring that traffic in the busy Dadar area was not disrupted. Some residents have also raised concerns about the impact of the protest on daily life and movement in the neighbourhood.
CJP leader Saurav Das has alleged that BJP-linked workers were present around the protest and said the organisation had photographs that it claimed supported its contention.
Das referred to the reported presence of a former officer on special duty associated with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, along with some local people from the Shivaji Park area.
The CJP has used these claims to question the opposition it says has emerged around its protest. However, the presence of individuals at or around the venue does not by itself establish organisational involvement by the BJP. The allegation remains a claim made by the CJP.
The CJP has placed the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at the centre of its campaign. The organisation has also demanded action and investigation over allegations it has raised concerning electoral-roll management.
Another key demand is a freeze on voter deletions under the SIR exercise. The CJP has called for the 2025 electoral roll to be preserved and has sought safeguards against further changes while the controversy is examined.
The organisation is also demanding a transparent and independent mechanism for appointing future election commissioners, with participation from civil society. The broader focus of the campaign is voter registration, deletion of names, verification procedures and the integrity of electoral databases.
The protest comes against the backdrop of a wider political dispute over the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Opposition parties and activist groups have raised concerns about eligible voters potentially being excluded during the revision process.
The Election Commission has maintained that SIR is intended to identify eligible voters and remove duplicate, ineligible or otherwise invalid entries. The controversy intensified after reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on several occasions over decisions linked to election administration and electoral-roll management.
The Election Commission has maintained that SIR-related decisions were taken collectively and unanimously by its three-member commission.
The issue has also moved into the legal arena, with the Supreme Court agreeing to hear a plea concerning the functioning of the Election Commission and aspects of the SIR exercise.
For voters, the controversy has a direct impact because electoral rolls determine who is eligible to participate in elections. The process of adding, deleting, verifying and correcting voter details is therefore at the heart of the current debate.
The CJP protest has also attracted attention from the entertainment industry. Veteran actor Shabana Azmi and singer Vishal Dadlani have publicly backed the Mumbai mobilisation.
Azmi urged people to participate in the protest while highlighting the importance of voter registration and democratic rights. Dadlani also released a social media message supporting the agitation and said he would join the Mumbai protest.
The involvement of well-known celebrities has helped push the CJP campaign beyond political circles and increased its visibility on social media.
Hours before the planned agitation, CJP leaders said they were prepared to go to jail as part of the Jail Bharo campaign. CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka said the organisation would continue its protest until its demands concerning electoral accountability were addressed.
The party has repeatedly focused its campaign on alleged voter deletions and has claimed that a large number of citizens have been affected by changes to electoral rolls. Those claims remain allegations by the CJP. The Election Commission has defended the SIR process and said the exercise is aimed at maintaining accurate and updated electoral rolls.
The Mumbai protest is being positioned as the beginning of a wider campaign. The CJP has announced plans to hold protests in Goa, Bengaluru and Kolkata, with the campaign eventually moving to New Delhi.
The organisation has also indicated that it will continue its mobilisation independently rather than join the Opposition’s planned October 6 protest against the Election Commission. The expansion of the campaign could keep the SIR and voter-list controversy in the national spotlight in the coming weeks.
The CJP mobilisation in Mumbai coincides with a separate protest in Delhi over the Election Commission and SIR. Social activists and student organisations have backed the Delhi demonstration, with several political leaders also supporting the mobilisation.
Delhi Police has denied permission for the proposed gathering and increased security around Jantar Mantar and other sensitive areas. The simultaneous activity in Mumbai and Delhi has brought electoral-roll revision, voter verification and the functioning of the Election Commission into renewed national focus.
