Mumbai: Thousands of youths gathered at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday as the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), founded by Abhijeet Dipke, staged a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged threats to Indian democracy. Despite police denying permission for the agitation, thousands of young protesters carrying the national flag and placards assembled at the ground, raising slogans such as “Go Gyanu Go”, “Gaddar Gyanu Must Go” and “Gyanu, It’s Done Bro”.
Celebrities Join CJP Protest
The protest, organised on Gandhi Jayanti, witnessed sharp attacks by Dipke on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Kumar. Actors Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah, along with musician Vishal Dadlani and other personalities, also attended the agitation.
Addressing the gathering, Dipke said the demand for Kumar’s resignation was aimed at protecting democratic rights. Referring to Mahatma Gandhi, he said, “Gandhi never dies. He is the soul of this country. As long as young people like us are around, Gandhi will remain alive in India. Thousands of people like Nathuram Godse will come and go, but the country will move forward guided by Gandhi’s ideology.”
Ambedkar, Nehru Also Invoked
Dipke said Gandhi, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru represented the soul, backbone and mind of the country, respectively, and questioned attempts to compare contemporary leaders with the three historical figures.
“When Gandhi is the soul of this country, Babasaheb Ambedkar is its backbone and Pandit Nehru its mind. Nobody has the stature to place themselves above these three,” he said, adding that the country’s democratic foundations rested on the contributions of its freedom fighters and Constitution-makers.
Dipke Targets Prime Minister
Targeting the Prime Minister, Dipke accused him of repeatedly forcing citizens to stand in queues, citing the demonetisation exercise, the Covid-19 vaccination drive and voter registration-related processes.
“During demonetisation, people stood in queues outside banks. During Covid, they stood in queues for vaccines. Now they are being made to stand in queues for voter registration,” he said.
RSS Also Draws Criticism
Taking a swipe at Modi’s references to his humble background, Dipke also criticised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), alleging that its followers had caused greater hardship to those defending Gandhi’s ideology than the British had inflicted on the Mahatma.
Dipke directly challenged Fadnavis over his reported warning that protesters could face three days in jail if they proceeded with the agitation.
‘Put Us Behind Bars’
“Devendra Fadnavis, you said you would put us in jail for three days. Put us behind bars for three months instead. We will come out and raise the same slogan that you used to raise — ‘Mi Punha Yein’ (I will return),” he said, referring to the Chief Minister’s familiar political slogan.
He further said Maharashtra had a legacy shaped by Ambedkar, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, and accused the Chief Minister of disregarding that tradition by issuing warnings to protesters.
Dipke Dares State Government
“Do you think we are MLAs who will run to you after receiving a threat? Put all of us in jail if you want,” Dipke said, adding that the Chief Minister’s position was politically vulnerable.
Police and other security personnel were deployed in large numbers around Shivaji Park to maintain order, given the denial of permission for the protest.
Tension briefly surfaced when a group of around 10 to 15 people wearing saffron caps and scarves arrived near the protest venue and raised “Jai Shri Ram” slogans. Police intervened and moved the group away from the site, preventing the situation from escalating. The affiliations of the group were not immediately clear.
The agitation comes amid controversy over reported internal differences within the Election Commission of India and opposition demands for Kumar’s resignation. Dipke had announced a nationwide agitation seeking accountability from the poll panel, with Friday’s gathering in Mumbai forming part of that campaign.
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