‘Gyanesh BRO, JUST RESIGN’: Thousands rally in Mumbai seeking CEC’s ouster, CJP warns of ‘Jantar Mantar 2.0’

MUMBAI: Thousands of people gathered at the city’s Shivaji Park on Friday as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) launched the second phase of its protests on Gandhi Jayanti, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The protest, which followed the party’s earlier agitation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, saw young protesters waving the national flag and carrying placards demanding Kumar’s resignation.

Notably, the Mumbai Police had denied permission for the protest and attempted to restrict CJP members from gathering at the venue, citing noise pollution and traffic concerns. The protesters, however, went ahead with the agitation despite heavy security deployment.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke had threatened a “Jail Bharo Andolan” if the protest was prevented. Addressing the gathering, he said the movement would continue and warned of “Jantar Mantar 2.0” if the CEC did not resign. “If Gyanesh Kumar does not resign, the Gen Z of the entire nation will go to Delhi. There will be Jantar Mantar 2.0,” Dipke said as he gave a call for “Chalo Delhi”.

Dipke also thanked the Mumbai Police while criticising the Delhi Police over the treatment of protesters during the party’s earlier agitation at Jantar Mantar. “Thank you, Mumbai Police, for your cooperation today. Salute to all the police personnel who were on duty! Jai Hind. Delhi Police, seekh lo kuch Mumbai Police se,” Dipke said, gathering the protestors.

CJP leader Saurav Das also targeted the Delhi Police over the detention of protesters at Jantar Mantar. “Delhi Police has again resorted to brutality. We warn Delhi Police to improve or we will improve you,” Das said.

The CJP has demanded Kumar’s resignation, criminal proceedings against him, a freeze on the SIR exercise and restoration of the January 2025 voter list. It has also called for the repeal of the 2023 law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners and reforms to the Election Commission.

“Gyanesh Kumar must resign and face criminal proceedings,” demanded CJP leader Ajinkya Shinde.

The party has also demanded greater transparency and an independent process for appointing the next Election Commissioner, including participation from civil society.

Dipke alleged that large numbers of voters had been deleted from electoral rolls and questioned changes in election results following revisions of the voter lists.

He said that in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won nine of Maharashtra’s 48 seats, but its performance changed in the state Assembly elections held six months later.

“In the Assembly elections held six months later, the scenario changed altogether. How did this change happen?” he said.

Dipke claimed that 13 crore voters had been deleted in two years. He also alleged that 40 lakh voters were added to Maharashtra’s electoral rolls ahead of the Assembly elections and that voter deletions had affected constituencies in Delhi, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

The allegations could not be independently verified.

Dipke also accused the BJP of attempting to weaken regional parties, citing the Shiv Sena and NCP in Maharashtra, and described the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena as a “shell company”.

He further criticised the proposal for simultaneous elections, claiming that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s real objective was “One Nation, One Election, One Party”.

Despite the police restrictions, young protesters gathered at Shivaji Park, with groups including the Student Federation of India (SFI) displaying placards, singing songs and playing drums.

Posters read, “Gyanu, Tujha Democracy Var Bharosa Nay Kay?”, “Gyanesh BRO, JUST RESIGN” and “Gaddaar Gyaanu Must Go”.

The protesters also carried satirical posters and used film references to target the Chief Election Commissioner.

A student, Manish Mandal, wore jewellery made from ‘Melody’ chocolate wrappers while holding a banner reading “Fraud detergent powder” in Devanagari script.

Veteran actors Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, filmmakers Vishal Bhardwaj and Hansal Mehta, singer-composer Vishal Dadlani, and Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, were among those present at the protest.

Songs from the film “Rang De Basanti” and A R Rehman’s “Vande Mataram” were also played. The stage featured quotations on non-violence and simplicity, along with tributes to Babasaheb Ambedkar.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) extended support to the protest. Its local MLA Mahesh Sawant said party leader Aaditya Thackeray did not attend because he was unwell.

Dipke said the CJP had been compelled to launch a second protest within two months because the government had failed to address people’s concerns. “The government is so incompetent that we have to protest again in two months (after the Jantar Mantar protest over the NEET paper leak),” he said.

The CJP chose Maharashtra as the starting point for its campaign against Kumar because the alleged irregularities in the electoral rolls began in the state, Dipke said.

The CJP founder also explained the choice of Mumbai in Marathi, saying, “Delhi che hi takth rakhto Maharashtra maza [Even the Delhi throne is guarded by Maharashtra]”.

When Mumbai Police denied permission for the protest, Dipke invoked Mahatma Gandhi’s civil disobedience movement. “We are fighting against those in power… We all remember Mahatma Gandhi, who fought against the British. Did the British ever permit him to agitate?” he said.

“Mumbai has a historic past and a strong connection with Mahatma Gandhi. It was here in Mumbai (then Bombay) that Mahatma Gandhi launched the Quit India movement on August 9, 1942, at Gawalia Tank, now called August Kranti Maidan,” he added.

The CJP said its protests would be held in other cities, including Kolkata, Goa, Bengaluru and Ranchi, before returning to Delhi.

Earlier on Friday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said that protesters would be jailed for three days before getting bail if the protest went ahead.

In response, Dipke said, “Mee punha yein [I will be back],” mocking a line made famous by Fadnavis during a pre-poll speech ahead of the 2019 Assembly elections.

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