“As you can see, we are starting from Mumbai today. This is going to be a very big protest. Mumbai showed last time what the spirit of Mumbai is. The youth of the whole country, the young generation, everyone came out last time for the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. And this time too, it is going to be the same with Gyanesh Kumar, who is a traitor to the country. The youth of Mumbai are hitting the streets again. Today, a massive protest is going to happen at Shivaji Park. And I want, I appeal to all the Mumbaikars and our friends. Everyone come,” he said.

A few residents of Shivaji Park objected to the park being used as a protest site, citing inconvenience to people living in the area. A local resident, Sunil Bhagwat, while talking to the reporters, said people regularly visit Shivaji Park for walks and claimed that frequent protests were causing inconvenience to the common people.

“We come here for walks in this park, but many protests have been happening here recently. Who is responsible for the troubles being caused to the common people? Did the Constitution not explain your duties towards the rest of the people? Who is responsible for the problems the common man here faces?” he said.

Another resident, Ravindra, referred to the previous protest at the venue and said the crowd had reached Dadar Shivaji Park station and there were bottles of liquor thrown. 

“The previous time these people protested, they said that it was a spontaneous protest. There was such a huge crowd that it reached Dadar Shivaji Park station itself. Bottles of liquor were thrown at those who came here, and these people, the ones who call them ‘Jengi’, call them here by lying,” Ravindra said.

He also raised concerns over the presence of schools and a hospital near the protest site, claiming that traffic movement had been affected during the previous protest.

“There are two schools and a hospital here. Cars couldn’t pass through; around 5:00 PM, school was getting over and the school kids were stuck in their vehicles anyway. We all believe in the Constitution but the Constitution hasn’t given permission to these people, right? If the law and the Constitution haven’t granted permission, then what force are they using to come here?” he said.

Meanwhile, in Delhi, members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) staged a protest near Jantar Mantar against the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, with CPI(M) leaders demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The protest was held despite Delhi Police denying permission for the proposed demonstration and imposing prohibitory restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. Security has been tightened in central Delhi amid the gathering

CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby, who joined the protest, alleged that Kumar had violated rules governing the functioning of the Election Commission and demanded his removal.

“Gyanesh Kumar should be arrested for the criminal activity of cutting people’s votes,” Baby said.

 Speaking to reporterser, Baby said thousands of youth and student leaders from SFI and DYFI had come to Delhi from different parts of the country.

 “In Jantar Mantar and a few other places in Delhi, thousands of youth and student leaders of the Students Federation of India and Democratic Youth Federation have come from different parts of the country. I think they should be the biggest mobilization in Delhi today,” he said.

 He alleged that CEC Kumar had been “nakedly violating all existing rules” governing the Election Commission and demanded his removal.

The oppositions movement against the CEC is likely to gain momentum with the INDIA bloc planning a series of protests including a massive march on October 6.

(with inputs from ANI)