The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) said it will keep protesting, even if its leaders are arrested, and on October 10 it will call for the country to take a national mobilisation meeting to focus on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The party has said the government is planning to crack down on its leaders and warned that arrests would not put an end to the movement.
The comments came after Delhi Police arrested around 110 people during a demonstration in the national capital at which Kumar’s resignation was demanded. The protestors claimed there were many problems with the SIR exercise and the government was protecting the Chief Election Commissioner. The police action has added to the political tension in the electoral roll revision process and demands for accountability in the Election Commission.
CJP leaders warn against possible arrests.
In a post on X, CJP leader Saurav Das claimed that the government was planning to arrest him and other party leaders like Abhijeet, Ashutosh and Ratna. He described the move as dictatorial and claimed that young people around the country were more aware of their rights.
Das said the party would not abandon its campaign even if its leaders were arrested or faced other consequences. Citizens should continue to speak up about issues of rights and future, he noted, but until the leadership of the movement was removed, the movement would stay awake.
Das emphasized the need for broad participation and called for people in India to organise a massive movement starting on October 10. The party has appealed to supporters and the public to show up for protests against the SIR exercise and what it calls concerns about the electoral process.
CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke also issued a message to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Dipke, in his post on X, questioned how many protesters the authorities could arrest and said people from all over the country would be joining the proposed mobilisation on October 10.
The party’s appeal is a sign of an attempt to extend the protests beyond Delhi and attract participation from other parts of the country. But the scale and geographical spread of the planned demonstrations remain to be seen.
Around 110 detained during Delhi protest.
The recent statements came after a demonstration in Delhi in which around 110 people were detained, police sources said. Reports also said about 15 Delhi Police personnel were injured during the protest, including women personnel who were bitten.
Earlier yesterday, the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) organised a protest march from Raisina Road towards Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. Hundreds of youth workers participated in the demonstration, holding placards and protesting against the government, as heavy police presence and barricading took place.
The national president of IYC Uday Bhanu Chib led the march and criticised police for preventing demonstrators from moving on towards Jantar Mantar to protest. He said protesters with the right to protest peacefully should be allowed to assemble at the protest site.
Chib claimed that the government was trying to shield the Chief Election Commissioner from scrutiny. He also referred to allegations made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding electoral processes and said the opposition would continue to demand accountability.
Other IYC leaders also backed up the demand for Kumar’s resignation. National Secretary Roshani Jaiswal accused the government of trying to suppress the issue, and Chitwan Godara, National Coordinator of IYC Legal Team, said the protests would continue until the demonstrators’ demands were addressed.
These statements reflect the opposition's growing criticism of the Election Commission and the government's handling of the controversy. The allegations made by political leaders remain contested and should be distinguished from established findings.
SIR Controversy and Questions Over Election Commission Decisions.
The protests come at a time of debate over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and reported discord over Election Commission administrative decisions.
According to a report by The Indian Express, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on at least 14 occasions over a period of 10 months to various decisions taken in electoral rolls, voter registration and the Election Commission's technology systems.
The report raised new questions about internal deliberations and decision-making by the poll panel. Opposition leaders have highlighted the developments and called for greater transparency and accountability.
The Election Commission, however, rejected the claim that the objections raised showed institutional dissent over final decisions. It added that operational queries and inputs and suggestions raised during the draft stage were part of its regular administrative and decision-making processes.
The poll panel also maintained that decisions about the schedule of the SIR exercise were unanimously taken. Its response shows the difference between the allegations raised by political parties and the Commission's explanation of its internal processes.
October 10 mobilisation could increase political tensions.
The CJP has called for nationwide demonstrations on October 10, so the next few days will be key for the ongoing protests over electoral roll revision. The party will not be deterred by arrests if its leaders or supporters choose to join the campaign, it said.
The proposed mobilisation will centre on demands for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and concerns about the SIR exercise. The response from supporters, opposition groups and authorities will determine the extent to which the demonstrations become a national movement.
For now, the issue is the political transparency of elections and constitutional institutions and the right to peaceful protest. CJP leaders have said they will keep on spreading their fight, and the Election Commission has defended its decision-making process, leaving the competing claims at the heart of the political dispute.
