Cockroach Janta Party nationwide protest from Oct 2 if Chief Election Commissioner doesnt resign: Dipke

India: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced that it will launch a nationwide protest from October 2 if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not resign by Saturday.

CJP founder and national convener Abhijeet Dipke made the announcement in a post on X on Friday. “If Gyanesh Kumar does not resign by tomorrow, CJP will begin its nationwide protest from Mumbai on 2 October, and take it to cities across India. This Gandhi Jayanti let’s pledge to save democracy,” he wrote.

The warning follows a day after Dipke and other CJP leaders held a press conference in New Delhi demanding Kumar’s resignation within 48 hours. They accused him of undermining voters’ rights amid controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The party had earlier threatened a “Jantar Mantar 2.0” agitation if the demand was not met.

Dipke also criticised opposition parties for continuing to contest elections while alleging that the process was being rigged. He argued that participating in such polls only legitimises them and helps maintain the “illusion” that they are free and fair.

The development comes against the backdrop of a report highlighting internal differences within the Election Commission over decisions related to voter additions, deletions and the SIR exercise. CJP has demanded Kumar’s resignation, a freeze on upcoming elections, a rollback of the SIR to the 2025 status, and related inquiries.