10,000+ turn up for CJP’s anti-CEC protest at Shivaji Park

MUMBAI: Despite the police’s denial of permission, over 10,000 protesters gathered at Dadar’s Shivaji Park on Friday as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) held a demonstration against alleged electoral roll deletions, demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

The crowd, estimated between 9,000 and 10,000 by Mumbai police’s special branch around 4 pm when the protest began, remained largely peaceful, marked by orderly movement and a rapport between demonstrators and security personnel, who managed the venue with dedicated public address systems while receiving claps and cheers from the gathering.

In the hot and humid weather, protesters said, “Mumbai police we love.” The crowd booed references to Delhi police, shouting, “Jo karna hai karlo par hum final Jantar Mantar mein hi khelenge.”Taking centre stage, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke launched an attack on political defections and the governing alliance, pointing out that 111 MPs and MLAs had switched parties in recent years, with 99 of them joining BJP or its allies.

Suggesting mockingly that politicians might as well be traded openly, Dipke asked, “So why don’t we just have an IPL-style auction for them instead directly?”Warning that failure by the CEC to resign would prompt nationwide Gen Z marches to Delhi, Dipke stated, “If Gyanu doesn’t resign, Nandu will have to resign, because he is the one actually rigging elections.