The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) began its 'Jantar Mantar at Kochi' protest in Kerala on Saturday, November 7, demanding the withdrawal of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Actor-activist Prakash Raj is leading the march from Marine Drive to Rajendra Maidan, with around 500 activists participating, according to organisers. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke also joined the protest after arriving in Kochi. He said the party's fight against Gyanesh Kumar would continue until India gets an independent and impartial election system.
CJP's Delhi Crackdown And Foreign Funding Row
The protest comes after CJP co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were arrested for entering Jantar Mantar after it was denotified as a protest site. Dipke was also detained ahead of the party's Tiranga March in Delhi.
On November 5, Das, Ranka and another leader, Ajinkya Shinde, were questioned by the Delhi Police Crime Branch for around four hours in connection with two FIRs linked to the October 13 protest.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Jitendra Singh alleged that CJP leaders received foreign funding, including from US-based donors and Pakistani politicians. Ranka hit back, questioning why Singh and Union Minister JP Nadda had held meetings with CJP leaders during their NEET protests if the allegations were true.
Das dismissed the claims as baseless and said the party had repeatedly sought evidence, but none had been provided.
CJP 'Jantar Mantar In Kochi' Protest: LIVE Updates
- A picture shared by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on X showed the party's anti-SIR demonstration underway in Kochi.
- Abhijeet Dipke questioned the appointment of a former Chief Electoral Officer of Kerala as secretary to the state's Chief Minister, saying such decisions could undermine the impartiality of the election system.
"I think such a thing should not happen anywhere. A similar thing happened in Bengal when the BJP won the election; they appointed the election commissioner as the chief secretary of the CM. These things cannot be entertained or tolerated when it comes to the impartiality of the election system," he said
- CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke arrived in Kochi on Saturday to attend the party's 'Jantar Mantar at Kochi' protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Speaking to ANI at the airport, he said, "It is a people's protest, and I am here on the invitation of the organisers and on the invitation of Prakash Raj. As I said earlier, the fight against Gyanesh Kumar will continue until we get an independent and impartial election system in India."