Naseeruddin Shah joins CJP's Mumbai protest seeking Gyanesh Kumar's resignation
Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah met Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke at Mumbai’s Azad Park, where the party is set to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Shah’s presence on Gandhi Jayanti was seen as a show of support, with Dipke later sharing a video of their meeting on X. Dipke also expressed his disbelief at seeing the legendary actor join them.
CJP is holding a protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday, demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over what the party has described as an Election Commission dissent row and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The CJP had announced that the protest would begin in Mumbai and subsequently spread to cities across India if Kumar did not resign.Am I dreaming or what? pic.twitter.com/NAA7ZdVPjz— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) October 2, 2026
Dipke had earlier called on supporters to mark Gandhi Jayanti by “saving democracy” and announced the protest on social media. Security has also been stepped up at Dadar station ahead of the proposed gathering at Shivaji Park.
Shah’s presence at the protest adds to his previous support for the CJP-led movement. The veteran actor had earlier spoken out in support of protesters during the group’s July agitation and criticised the crackdown on demonstrators.
Earlier, in July, Shah had spoken out against the crackdown during the CJP’s Chalo Sansad march. He had condemned the violence against protesters and compared those involved to American ICE agents. In a video shared on Instagram, the veteran actor expressed his anger over the treatment meted out to the young demonstrators and said his hope for the country’s youth had grown stronger.
Addressing the situation, the Main Vaapas Aaunga actor said, “I would like to say two things to you all. The first thing is that if an ignorant person leads this country, then his heart will want the whole country to become as ignorant, incomprehensible, and merciless as he is.”
The 76-year-old actor reflected on his journey as a teacher and actor, saying that despite completing two different acting courses at the National School of Drama (NSD) and the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), most of what he had learnt about acting came from the students he had tried to teach. He had added that he had immense sympathy for them.
Shah had further urged people to think about the future and the struggles faced by young protesters.
His statement came amid heightened tensions at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, where protests had intensified following activist Sonam Wangchuk’s removal from the protest site in the early hours of July 18. Delhi Police had shifted Wangchuk to a hospital after he completed 21 days of an indefinite hunger strike, citing his deteriorating health, medical advice and compliance with a Delhi High Court order.
On Thursday, the CJP also declared that their protest will also be held in other major cities, including Kolkata, Goa, Bengaluru and Ranchi.- EndsALSO READ | Mumbai CJP Protest Live: Locals protest against stir at Shivaji Park, cite chaos and loss of business
