Mumbai CJP protest: Abhijeet Dipke demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over SIR row

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), led by founder Abhijeet Dipke, held a protest in Mumbai on Friday, October 2, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, reported by news agency PTI.

The protest was planned at Shivaji Park in Dadar on Gandhi Jayanti. The CJP had announced that its Mumbai demonstration would mark the beginning of a wider nationwide campaign. Dipke had earlier said the movement would subsequently be taken to other cities before culminating in a larger protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

The organisation has raised questions over the Election Commission's handling of electoral-roll revisions. Among its stated demands are the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, freezing the 2025 electoral roll and greater transparency in the process of appointing the next Chief Election Commissioner.

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Police deny permission for protest

Mumbai Police had not granted permission for the proposed gathering at Shivaji Park. Authorities cited restrictions governing assemblies at the venue, the lack of required civic permissions and concerns about traffic movement and the passage of emergency vehicles.

Security arrangements were strengthened in and around Dadar ahead of the planned protest, including additional deployment at Dadar railway station.

The issue also created concern among residents and businesses around Shivaji Park. Some local residents and business owners objected to the demonstration, saying repeated protests in the area disrupt daily life and commercial activity. According to India Today, some office owners said they had been forced to shut their establishments during earlier gatherings.

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Dipke briefly taken to police station

The protest came a day after Dipke was taken to the Marine Drive police station after appearing at the promenade with supporters carrying placards. Police denied that he had been detained, saying officers had interacted with him while he was at Marine Drive and later escorted him to the station. Dipke described the episode differently, alleging that he was taken there unnecessarily and released later.

The CJP's agitation comes amid a broader political and civil-society debate over electoral-roll revisions. The Election Commission has maintained that the exercise is intended to identify and remove duplicate, deceased or otherwise ineligible voters, while critics have raised concerns about the potential exclusion of eligible voters.