MUMBAI: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has announced a “Jail Bharo Andolan” in Mumbai on October 2 after Mumbai Police denied permission for the organisation’s proposed protest at Shivaji Park on Gandhi Jayanti.
Dipke announced the planned agitation in a post on X, stating that the protest would be held on October 2 at Shivaji Park. The CJP had originally planned the demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and has demanded his resignation.
The party has also raised objections to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and has called for changes to the legal framework governing the Election Commission.
Mumbai Police, however, said it was not authorised to grant permission for a gathering at Shivaji Park. The police cited a Bombay High Court judgment and subsequent orders issued by the Maharashtra government in support of its position.
Officials also referred to concerns regarding noise pollution, traffic congestion and disruption to the movement of people and vehicles in the area. The organisers were advised to consider an alternative venue for the proposed protest.
Following the denial, Dipke criticised the decision and said that attempts to restrict the demonstration were unacceptable. He subsequently announced the Jail Bharo programme for October 2.
The proposed protest comes amid an ongoing political debate over the functioning of the Election Commission and the revision of electoral rolls. The CJP has raised questions over the SIR exercise and has sought changes to the existing legal framework governing the poll panel.
The Election Commission, meanwhile, has rejected claims that its functioning has broken down because of differences among officials. The poll panel has maintained that differences of opinion can occur during institutional deliberations and has said that important decisions were taken unanimously.
The October 2 programme is expected to draw attention to the CJP's demands concerning the Election Commission and electoral-roll revision. The exact arrangements for the proposed protest will depend on discussions with the authorities and the applicable restrictions governing gatherings at Shivaji Park.
For now, the Mumbai Police's denial of permission has shifted the focus from the proposed demonstration itself to the question of whether and where the organisers will be able to hold their planned agitation on Gandhi Jayanti.
Dipke's announcement means the CJP intends to continue with its protest programme despite the denial of permission for the original gathering at Shivaji Park.
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