Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Friday demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar during a protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park, alleging large-scale irregularities in electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
Dipke warned of a fresh “Jantar Mantar 2.0” agitation if Kumar did not step down. He further said the protest movement could escalate to demands concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi if his demand for the CEC’s resignation was not met.
Dipke alleges voter-roll deletions
Addressing the gathering, Dipke alleged that voters’ names had been removed from electoral rolls across several states during the SIR exercise. He claimed that the scale of deletions could have an impact on elections.
Dipke cited alleged deletions in constituencies in Delhi, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and linked them to electoral outcomes. These claims were part of his address at the protest and have not been independently established as evidence of targeted manipulation.
Hindustan Times’ analysis cited in the report found no correlation between SIR deletions by constituency and election outcomes. It also noted that some deletions were linked to factors such as deaths and migration.
The Election Commission has defended the SIR process and said decisions have been taken through its established procedures. The Commission’s official elector services also provide facilities for voters to check their names and submit applications for registration, correction or updating of electoral-roll details.
CJP plans nationwide agitation
The Mumbai protest was announced as the first phase of a wider agitation by the CJP. Dipke had earlier said the campaign would move to other parts of the country before culminating in a sit-in at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
The organisation has listed three principal demands: Kumar’s resignation, freezing the electoral roll prepared in 2025 and holding elections on the basis of that roll, and a transparent process for appointing the next Election Commissioner with civil-society participation.
Police had denied permission for the proposed Shivaji Park protest, citing civic permissions and concerns related to traffic and noise. Despite this, the demonstration went ahead on Friday, with several public figures attending.
Public figures attend protest
Veteran actors Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah, along with singer and music composer Vishal Dadlani, were among those reported to have attended the protest.
Shiv Sena (UBT) also extended support, with a party representative joining the gathering. Dipke, however, has maintained that the CJP movement is independent of political parties.
The protest comes amid wider political debate over the Election Commission’s functioning and the SIR exercise. Dipke has also criticised the government over electoral-roll revisions and alleged political interference in the poll process, claims that remain disputed.
