CJP is gearing up for its October 10 Jantar Mantar protest against SIR, demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, amid Mamata Banerjee’s possible participation and heightened security.
The countdown has begun for the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar, with just 24 hours to go before what the outfit has dubbed “Jantar Mantar Season 2” in its campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral tolls.
Calling for a nationwide mobilisation against the SIR exercise, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on Thursday asserted that the group would march to Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on October 10.
Dipke said that the SIR should be scrapped and accountability be fixed for the alleged deletion of voters. Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Dipke said, “Jantar Mantar belongs to people of India; it does not belong to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.”
He also urged political parties, civil society groups and social activists to come together to protect voting rights, alleging that large numbers of voters had been deleted and questioning the Election Commission’s role in the exercise.
“SIR – A Biggest Scam”
“SIR is the biggest scam that the central government, the BJP-ruled government, is pulling off to kill democracy in India,” Dipke said, referring to testimonies of people who had allegedly been declared dead in electoral records despite producing Aadhaar, PAN and other valid documents to establish that they were alive.
Citing alleged deletions in constituencies associated with opposition leaders, Dipke referred to former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and questioned whether the instances were merely coincidences or reflected a pattern.
“If we believe that there is no involvement of the BJP with the Election Commission, then why is it always the opposition leaders who lose? And why does it always benefit the BJP?” he asked, calling for an explanation.
Sharpening his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, the CJP founder said that they did not own the country or Jantar Mantar and were only “servants with a fixed tenure to serve people”.
Dipke clarified that the CJP was not seeking to destabilise the country and reiterated that its demand was for accountability from CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the Centre over the alleged deletion of votes.
CJP Alleges Mass Detentions:
CJP spokesperson Sourav Das alleged that people associated with the party and young participants in the movement were being subjected to “mass detentions” in several states, including UP, West Bengal and Delhi.
“None of us are afraid of arrests or detentions. The protest has to go on with or without us,” he said.
Mamata Banerjee To Join CJP Protest:
Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she may participate in the CJP’s October 10 protest.
Speaking to reporters at the NSC Bose International Airport here before boarding a flight to the national capital to take part in the ongoing protests of the opposition INDIA bloc, Banerjee lashed out at the BJP and the Election Commission for the alleged SIR anomalies and electoral malpractices in Bengal.
“I may join the protest at Jantar Mantar scheduled for October 10, but nothing can be confirmed now. We have maintained a relationship with them (the CJP) and have extended our support, while any further decision regarding our participation will be taken later,” Banerjee said.
Security Tightened In Delhi:
More than 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed across Delhi ahead of the October 10 protest announced by the CJP. A senior officer told PTI that no permission has been granted for any protest at Jantar Mantar and appealed to people to avoid participating in any unauthorised gathering.
“We are well prepared and motivated to handle the law-and-order situation in the city on Saturday. No permission has been granted so far for any protest at Jantar Mantar,” the officer said.
The deployment was made as a precautionary measure to prevent any breach of peace and ensure the smooth movement of people and traffic. The officer said prohibitory orders are already in force in the area.
“Prohibitory orders are in force, and everyone is requested to follow the law and maintain peace,” the officer said.
