Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke
Mumbai: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Sunday announced a ‘Jail Bharo’ agitation from Oct 2, after police denied them protest permission at either Azad Maidan or Shivaji Park on Gandhi Jayanti to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. In a letter dated Sept 27, police said CJP had not submitted permission from BMC for use of Shivaji Park ground. The decision was based on Bombay High Court’s 2013 order and Maharashtra govt’s 2016 guidelines governing the use of Shivaji Park. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke posted on his social media account: “Mumbai Police has also denied permission for our protest on Oct 2.
Akshay Shinde, CJP national secretary, said, “We asked for a day’s protest permission, but police denied it at Azad Maidan. They also cited the possibility of noise pollution, traffic congestion, and disruption to the movement of patients to nearby hospitals. Subsequently, we sought permission for Shivaji Park, but that too was denied, after which we decided for Jail Bharo Andolan. 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. Ranka, along with others, had planned to have a small volunteers’ meeting in Assam when he was reportedly detained.
Dipke stated that he planned to travel to Assam on Monday in support of CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka, whom the police had detained there without disclosing on what charges.