Demonstration in Mumbai demanding resignation of Chief Election Commissioner, Bollywood celebrities also participated

Due to the movement of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), Education Minister of Modi government Dharmendra Pradhan had to resign in the month of August.

On October 2, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, people once again united under the leadership of CJP in Mumbai to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Questions are being raised on the role of Gyanesh Kumar regarding alleged irregularities in the voter list and the Election Commission's SIR process.

Especially after the Indian Express report, which said that two election commissioners had expressed disagreement with many of the decisions of Gyanesh Kumar.

The protesters were demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Despite a crowd of thousands of people outside Mumbai's Shivaji Park, no one was detained.

The Mumbai demonstration was led by leaders of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). The police did not allow them to demonstrate. Despite this, the protesters reached outside the gate of Shivaji Park in Dadar carrying the tricolor.

Some Bollywood actors including film actor Naseeruddin Shah, actress Shabana Azmi, Vishal Dadlani also participated during the Mumbai protest.

CJP founder Abhijeet Deepke said that if Gyanesh Kumar does not resign, cockroaches will reach Delhi on October 10 and protest at Jantar Mantar.

Abhijit Deepke, Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and party's legal affairs chief Ratna Singh addressed the protesters gathered in Mumbai.

During the demonstration, slogans like 'Inquilab Zindabad', 'Ek Jeera, Do Ajwain, Gyanesh Karo Resign' and 'Gyanu Kaka... Resignation Deya' were raised.

Musician Vishal Dadlani was seen singing the song 'Rang De Basanti'.

Abhijeet Deepke raised slogans of 'Gyanu, it's done bro' during the protest.

He said, "If Gyanu goes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also go."

Ashutosh Ranka said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi's shop is running because of ECI. Who is Gyanesh Kumar, the one who snatches Babasaheb's Constitution?

He said, "This is just the trailer, the full picture will be shown at Jantar Mantar in Delhi."

Deepke said that if Gyanesh Kumar does not resign, then the way is open to reach Delhi and protest on October 10.

He wrote on social media platform X, “If Delhi Police tries to stop us, wherever we are stopped will be our Jantar Mantar. Our movement will be peaceful. We will follow the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi."

Deepke said, “The government is so incompetent that just more than two months after the protest at Jantar Mantar against the NEET exam paper leak, CJP had to protest for the second time. After this demonstration, the then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had resigned.

“We will protest not for three days but for three months.”

'Gandhi is the soul of this country and Ambedkar is the backbone'

Deepke said, “Today we are paying true tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. Today the Sangh people are harassing us as much as the British did to Gandhiji. I want to say to the people of Godse's ideology that you do not deserve to be bigger than Gandhi, Nehru and Ambedkar. If Gandhi is the soul of this country, then Ambedkar is the backbone of this country. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and Nehru gave us the right to vote."

Abhijeet Deepke also strongly criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

CJP co-convenor Saurav Das said, “From this platform we are once again warning the Delhi Police. There is justice at Jantar Mantar. People have faith in that place. Many dreams of youth are linked there, hence Modi and Shah have closed that place. Gyanesh Kumar, we will not tolerate this anymore. Unless you resign, we will not return home. “Our right to vote has been taken away from us for two years.”

Singer Vishal Dadlani said, “The Election Commission has also rejected my application. Because I will not vote for him. You should know that all this is happening. We should keep our voice raised till Gyanesh Kumar resigns."

Tushar Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, said, “Mumbai has proved that we are no less than Jantar Mantar. Mumbai never backs down. Mumbai has shown in history that every change starts from Mumbai."

Deepke and Dadlani thanked the police "for their cooperation".

Mumbai Police told 'Indian Express' that 300 personnel of police and other additional forces were deployed in view of the demonstration.

Police said, “No one has been detained as a precautionary measure. All roads leading to Shivaji Park were closed. The roads were opened after the demonstration ended in the evening. The situation is peaceful now."

'Don't be afraid of detention and arrest'

Addressing the protesters, CJP co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka said they should not be afraid of police action.

"We should not be afraid of being detained. We should not be afraid of being arrested. They will try to scare and threaten us, but we are not afraid," he said.

Shabana Azmi, who participated in the protest, said, "Since childhood, we have been hearing that voting is our right, but if this right is taken away, what will we do? We will protest."

"We don't need to tolerate this, because this is our country and the Constitution of this country gives us this right," he said.

Comedian Rajeev Nigam said, "The soul of Mother India is democracy. Democracy is strengthened by our right to vote. When our right to vote is taken away, we all will have to come together and raise our voice."

What are the demands of CJP?

CJP has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The party has also demanded criminal action against him to find out who ordered the process like SIR.

The party has demanded a halt to the SIR process, restoration of the voter list of January 2025 and repeal of the 2023 law related to the appointment of election commissioners.

CJP says that a new and transparent mechanism with the participation of civil society should be created for the appointment of election commissioners.

'Marginalized people affected by SIR'

According to 'The Hindu', NCP leader Anish Gawande, who participated in the protest, claimed that marginalized groups have been affected by the SIR process.

He claimed that "those who did not have documents have been affected due to the floods. There was a flood in Assam and the documents of thousands of people were washed away in the water. Where will such people get their documents from now? There is a danger of snatching the right to vote from such people. Along with this, the names of transgender people without identity cards were removed from the voter list."