Resign CEC or Face Delhi Siege on Oct 10, Warns Cockroach Party

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) organized a massive demonstration at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Friday, October 2, to demand the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. CJP leader Abhijit Dipke addressed the gathering, stating, ‘If the CEC does not step down, people from across the country will gather in Delhi for a peaceful movement’. He formally announced a follow-up ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’ protest scheduled for October 10 in New Delhi.

The CJP raised severe concerns regarding voter list revisions, claiming that nearly 130 million (13 crore) voters’ names were omitted nationwide under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and legal action, CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde demanded, ‘The 2025 voter list must be retained, the SIR process halted, and the 2023 Election Commissioner appointment law repealed’. The party also urged civil society representation in appointments to ensure electoral transparency.

Media reports citing internal disclosures indicated growing friction within the Election Commission over the ongoing voter revision. According to reports from The Indian Express, two members of the Election Commission had repeatedly raised objections to several key decisions related to the SIR process. However, both the Election Commission and the Government of India have firmly rejected all allegations of irregularities and wrongdoing.

Despite the lack of official police permission, a large crowd of youth and prominent public figures attended the Gandhi Jayanti rally to support non-violent resistance. High-profile attendees included actors Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, music director Vishal Dadlani, and Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi. Demonstrators actively voiced demands for the protection of constitutional voting rights and greater transparency in voter lists.

Concluding the rally, CJP leaders emphasized that strict accountability in voter list revisions is vital to maintaining public trust in the democratic process. Reflecting on past police action against their movement in Delhi earlier this July, Mr. Dipke strongly condemned the incident and reaffirmed that supporters are fully prepared to march on Delhi on October 10 if their demand for the CEC’s resignation remains unfulfilled.