Mumbai: Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has reiterated that it will launch a nationwide agitation from Mumbai on Oct 2 after its ultimatum seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar ended Saturday.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray said his party with his alliance partner, Shiv Sena (UBT), will organise a protest in Mumbai from Oct 4, though UBT MLA Aaditya Thackeray supported the Oct 2 protest. Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee will hold protests across the state on Monday, Sept 28, demanding that Gyanesh Kumar be dismissed from service and arrested. CJP had demanded Kumar’s resignation after election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had reportedly raised questions about Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls but were not taken into account; the two election commissioners had reportedly filed dissenting objections to institutional policies over a 10-month period. CJP members say the organisation has more than 500 official members just in Mumbai, giving them the necessary organisational strength to execute the planned agitations effectively.
Because no police permission has been received, but it is most likely going to be Azad Maidan, a CJP member said the Mumbai venue hasn’t been finalised. Because of Ganeshotsav, especially in Pune and Mumbai, speaking on the protest, a CJP member said they had held off calling the stir sooner.
CJP held a meeting in Delhi Saturday where it was finalised, a member said. Meanwhile, responding to the CJP’s announcement, Aaditya said, “If Gyanesh doesn’t go, Mumbai will step out against Vote Chori from 2nd October, in huge numbers!! All Indians, irrespective of their political parties or ideologies, must come together against SIR,” said Abhijeet Dipke, CJP founder and convener, in reply to Aaditya’s post on X. Akshay Shinde, the national secretary (organisation), told TOI they will continue trying for permission.
Azad Maidan is most likely to be the venue of its protest. Opposition parties are sceptical about joining the agitation. Congress too has planned a separate protest across the country to highlight their ‘vote-chori’ allegation instead of joining the CJP protest.
Congress functionaries are asked to protest in their respective districts on Monday.