Leaders of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Friday said they were prepared to go to jail if necessary to demand accountability from Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of “vote theft”. The party organised a protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park, scheduled to begin at 4 pm, and called for Kumar’s resignation.
CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke had earlier announced the agitation, accusing the CEC of failing to protect voters’ rights. The party’s leaders said the Mumbai protest would mark the beginning of a nationwide campaign against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls.
Speaking to IANS, CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka said the leaders would not retreat until their demands were met.
“If going to jail can bring back the votes of 13 crore people, and if going to jail can ensure accountability for Gyanesh Kumar, then we are absolutely ready to go to jail,” Ranka said.
He accused Kumar of being responsible for 13 crore voters being removed from electoral rolls, calling it a betrayal of the country. These allegations were made by the party’s leaders.
“Just like the previous agitation, we won’t back down till our demands are met,” he added.
CJP Appeals To Youth To Join Nationwide Protest
CJP co-convener Saurav Das said the party had chosen Mumbai as the starting point for its next phase of agitation after witnessing a strong public response to earlier protests against then-Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
“There was such a massive movement across the country against Dharmendra Pradhan, in which the youth came out in very large numbers. We saw the spirit of Mumbai on such a large scale after many years. So, we thought that this time we should come to Mumbai again and start from here,” Das told IANS.
Marking Gandhi Jayanti, Das appealed to young people across the country to unite and participate in the protest, drawing a comparison with the earlier Jantar Mantar agitation.
“Today is the auspicious day of Gandhi Jayanti, and I appeal to the youth of the country to unite once again, just as they did during Jantar Mantar 1.0. It should be a grand agitation aimed at saving the country,” he said.
Das argued that electoral integrity was essential for bringing about change and alleged that the youth were being targeted by a wider conspiracy.
“Whatever changes we aim to bring into the nation will not be possible if our vote is stolen… we have to come together against this conspiracy against the youth,” he added.
CJP Alleges Attempts To Disrupt Agitation
Das also alleged that workers linked to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had attempted to disrupt the planned protest. He said the party had collected photographs of those allegedly involved.
“The BJP people have sent some workers. We have also provided pictures of the same,” he told reporters.
He added that the party had informed Mumbai Police about the planned demonstration and expressed confidence that the protest would proceed peacefully.
CJP has submitted an intimation to the police, Das said, adding, “They are a professional force. I believe there will be mutual cooperation from their end as well as ours.”
He reiterated that the gathering would remain peaceful and serve as the launch of the party’s nationwide agitation.
Protesters Gather Ahead Of 4 PM Start
CJP leader Sidhant Bhardwaj said people had begun arriving at Shivaji Park hours before the scheduled start of the protest. He described the turnout as a sign of public enthusiasm similar to that witnessed during the Jantar Mantar agitation.
“The enthusiasm among the people is the same as it was at Jantar Mantar. These are the people who have come to save the country,” Bhardwaj told IANS.
He said participants had travelled from different states, cities and villages, united by what he described as their commitment to the country.
Bhardwaj expected at least 40,000 to 50,000 people to attend the gathering, adding that the number could exceed one lakh.
The protest was planned amid the CJP’s demands for accountability over alleged voter deletions and its call for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation. The party said it intended to extend the agitation beyond Mumbai through a nationwide campaign.
