CEC row LIVE: CJP, Congress to organise separate protests today
You don’t have any Active Subscription.
Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription
Abhijeet Dipke, head of the Cockroach Janta Party, leaves after a press conference ahead of a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, in Mumbai on October 1, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Thursday (October 1, 2026) sought the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and warned of launching protests across the country, followed by a stir at Jantar Mantar in Delhi by October’s end if he did not step down.
Read | What does the law say about CEC’s removal? | Explained
Mr. Dipke also said that the CJP would not join the Opposition’s protest against the poll body on October 6, and would remain an independent movement.
Also Read | First time that so many eligible electors have lost their vote due to SIR: former CEC O.P. Rawat
Opposition parties have been critical of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demanded his resignation after it came to light that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months to decisions and orders, some of which they said were issued without their knowledge.
Delhi Police denied permission for a proposed protest at Jantar Mantar on Gandhi Jayanti against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and beefed up security in and around New Delhi, with Central Armed Police Forces personnel deployed in anticipation of a gathering, officials said.
Police sources estimated that around 3,000 to 4,000 people could turn up for the protest, prompting heightened security measures across the area.
The protest, called by the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha and Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, seeks impeachment of CEC Kumar over allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls and the conduct of elections.
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.
CJP to protest in Mumbai against CEC, demanding resignation, SIR roll freeze, and transparent CEC appointment, amid political tensions.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was briefly detained at Marine Drive police station after police spotted him with placards along the iconic promenade.
Mr. Dipke had gathered at Marine Drive along with a group of supporters holding placards, an official said.
“A team which included a woman inspector approached Dipke and escorted him to Marine Drive police station in a van. The woman officer asked him about his identity and hometown during the ride to the police station,” the official said.
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
