Signalling that the protests over alleged electoral fraud are converging into one movement, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Wednesday extended its support to the Congress-led INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan and repeated its demand that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists.
“Nation above all! CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke posted on X, sharing a statement from the youth-led outfit. It was not immediately clear if he or others from the CJP would be on the stage or attend at all. The endorsement follows weeks in which the CJP and the Congress ran parallel campaigns against Gynesh Kumar; and before that, protests in June-July over paper leaks. The Aam Aadmi Party and the DMK have also backed the CJP, amid their frosty relations with the Congress-led INDIA bloc.
The Congress decided not to take part in the CJP’s October 10 protest in Delhi, citing its own nationwide agitation, while the Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, Left parties, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) backed the CJP. Dipke worked with AAP’s social media and campaign operations between 2020 and 2023.
The statement said, “The fundamental principle of democracy is that people get to choose their government, not that the government gets to choose its voters. Earlier reporting noted: In a statement shared on social media, the CJP said the SIR had raised serious concerns over the possible exclusion of eligible voters, arguing that the Election Commission of India’s responsibility was to safeguard every citizen’s right to vote. Earlier reporting noted: “The fundamental principle of democracy is that people get to choose their government, not that the government gets to choose its voters,” the party said, alleging that the SIR exercise had undermined public confidence in the electoral process.
Das and Ranka were released from Tihar after seven days, once they gave a Special Executive Magistrate written undertaking not to call protests at Jantar Mantar until the site is denotified in accordance with law. READ | ‘Whose Peace? Gandhi also criticised the arrest of CJP leaders by Delhi Police. Those arrests came after CJP leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde were held for trying to enter Jantar Mantar after it was denotified as a protest site.
How A 1361 English Law Lives On In Delhi’s ‘Bond’ Cases: NDTV Explains Rahul Gandhi was learnt to have invited Dipke to a high tea with INDIA bloc leaders and civil society groups, though he did not attend. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has asked party MPs to stay in Delhi from October 30 to November 1. The Delhi Police has granted a no-objection certificate for the rally, with conditions, for a programme between 10 am and 5 pm.
