CJP to protest against CEC in Mumbai on October 2, Dipke challenges CM Fadnavis

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Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke said on Thursday (October 1, 2026) that the group will hold a protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday (October 2). The protesters’ main demands include the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the filing of criminal charges against him.

CJP has also sought that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) roll be frozen and that the process to appoint the Chief Election Commissioner be made transparent with civil society participation. After Mumbai, the group will hold protests in six other cities, concluding at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi by the end of October.

“Gyanesh Kumar is a traitor. He doesn’t deserve to be the CEC. He is a puppet of Amit Shah and Narendra Modi. There have been 13 crore deletions in the voters’ list since 2024. The gap between the NDA and INDIA bloc was a mere 2% (in the 2024 elections), whereas they got rid of 14% of the vote share. There is an illusion of democracy in the country, and no actual democracy,” Mr. Dipke said.

He added that since a large number of people were affected due to the deletions, many will hit the streets. “If Gyanesh Kumar doesn’t resign, they will seek Narendra Modi’s resignation,” he said, alleging that Mr. Kumar was winning elections for Mr. Modi.

Expressing apprehension about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), he alleged that all electronic machines can be hacked and demanded that elections be held using ballot papers.

Responding to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ statement about three days’ police custody for protesters, he said he did not mind three months’ custody either. “I want to tell Mr. Fadnavis, mi punha yein (‘I will come back,’ a reference to Mr. Fadnavis’s past statement claiming he would return to power).”

Meanwhile, the Mumbai police have not given permission for the CJP protest. The Bombay High Court decides on petitions seeking permission to hold public events at Shivaji Park. The designated area for protests in the city is Azad Maidan. When asked if the group had approached the High Court to seek permission, Mr. Dipke said: “What will happen in the court? Taareekh pe taareekh (referring to prolonged court hearings).”

Responding to questions on why he did not choose to protest at Azad Maidan, he said: “We can protest anywhere. We want to protest at Shivaji Park only.”

When asked why the group did not wait for the Supreme Court to hear the pending petitions about the problems with electoral rolls and the SIR, he accused the apex court of being equally guilty. “Which Supreme Court? The same court which did not allow people to vote in the West Bengal elections?” he asked.

Responding to allegations of being a B team of the Congress, Mr. Dipke said, “Sit together and decide whose B team we are. The Congress accuses us of being a B team of the RSS and BJP. The ruling party accuses us of being a B team of the Congress.” 

Mr. Dipke was asked a question about reservation in education. While responding, he asked why nobody questioned management quota reservation. He said it was shameful that the parents of the IIT Bombay student who died by suicide had to sit on a protest to seek justice.

“Many students have died in IITs. Is there enough representation? There is not. People need to be made to feel that they belong there. How can you justify that a kid can die by suicide for cheating? How inhuman can you become? Children coming from tribal areas have to go through a lot to be at such places. That the parents continue to sit on a protest to seek justice for their child is shameful,” he said.

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