CEC protests planned as talks over opposition action continue

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke has called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and announced protests over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Dipke said the group would protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park and later in six other cities, ending with a demonstration at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar by the end of October. Its demands include criminal charges against Kumar, freezing the SIR roll and making the CEC appointment process more transparent with civil-society participation.

The CJP said it would not join the Opposition’s protest against the poll body and would remain independent. Opposition parties have criticised Kumar over the SIR process and raised concerns about objections reportedly recorded by two Election Commissioners. Dipke was briefly detained at Marine Drive police station after police saw him carrying placards with supporters.

An official said officers escorted him to the station and asked about his identity and hometown. The source identifies separate protests by the CJP and Congress. It does not provide the Congress event’s full details, but says political tensions around the Election Commission and electoral-roll revision remain high.