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The proposed protest is part of the continuing campaign against the Election Commission over the SIR exercise and demands for Kumar’s resignation. Opposition parties and various civil society groups have held demonstrations in several parts of the country in recent days.
Also read: CJP will not back down till CEC Gyanesh Kumar resigns: Ashutosh Ranka
AAP Delhi President Saurabh Bharadwaj had on Monday made a public call for people to join the Jantar Mantar protests. Other opposition groups are likely to join or hold parallel protests.
Meanwhile, Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, has announced a parallel “Jail Bharo Andolan” at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on October 2 at 4 pm.
Dipke had earlier said that Mumbai Police denied permission for CJP’s proposed October 2 protest against Kumar. Following this, he announced that the movement would launch the “Jail Bharo Andolan” on Gandhi Jayanti.
Mumbai Police, however, clarified that it was “not empowered to grant permission” for a gathering at Shivaji Park in view of a 2013 Bombay High Court order, and said the area is a “silence zone”. The police said applicant Ajinkya Shinde had been advised to look for an alternative venue in Mumbai and seek permission, which would be considered appropriately.The CJP had originally planned to launch a nationwide protest from Mumbai on October 2 if Gyanesh Kumar did not resign as CEC.
On September 25, Dipke had said, “If Gyanesh Kumar does not resign by tomorrow, CJP will begin its nationwide protest from Mumbai on 2 October, and take it to cities across India. This Gandhi Jayanti, let’s pledge to save democracy.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has also announced support for protests against Kumar, saying on X, “If Gyanesh doesn’t go, Mumbai will step out against Vote Chori from 2nd October, in huge numbers!!”
The developments come amid a wider Opposition campaign against the poll body. Congress stepped up its protests against Kumar on Monday, holding demonstrations in state capitals and districts and seeking to build a united Opposition front on the issue.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has demanded Kumar’s resignation and said the party would “fight seriously” over the SIR issue and the EC row. The Congress Working Committee is also scheduled to discuss the issue on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said an INDIA bloc meeting is expected on September 30 to discuss the SIR exercise and the functioning of the EC, and urged that the deliberations not be restricted to bloc partners.
Earlier, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti had also called for a protest at Jantar Mantar, appealing to people to participate in a demonstration centred on democratic and secular values.
Also read: CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke claims Assam Police detained outfit’s leader Ashutosh Ranka, supporters
The political row intensified following an investigative report by The Indian Express, which said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months regarding decisions and procedures linked to the SIR exercise.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections represented institutional dissent, maintaining that decisions related to SIR were taken with the unanimous approval of the Commission.
