An estimated thousand of people assembled at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Friday, October 2, 2026, disregarding the police instructions for immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Gyanesh Kumar.
This was done by an organization of young people known as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
The organizers named the event a "Jail Bharo Andolan," which means a movement that results in people's arrests, following the rejection by Mumbai Police of their request to assemble at the place.
However, Abhijeet Dipke, who is the founder of CJP, had requested permission to conduct the protest at Shivaji Park against Kumar; however, the police did not permit this request.
This was due to the reason that they lacked the power to grant such permission for a gathering due to the High Court order passed in 2013 in the Bombay High Court. This is also due to the fact that the park is declared a silence zone.
Instead of scrapping the protest, he decided to proceed with the protest as a “Jail Bharo Andolan."
Photo: @PTI
Dipke was detained by the Mumbai Police on Thursday, October 1, a day ahead of the scheduled protest march, following his being seen holding placards near Marine Drive.
This act of detention by the police made way for the protest march scheduled for Friday, which was planned as a response to the same kind of curtailment of freedom of assembly as stated by CJP.
The demonstrators took to the streets on Friday waving the Indian tricolor flag and holding banners with slogans such as "Gyanu, Tujha Democracy Var Bharosa Nay Kay" (Gyanesh, don’t you trust democracy?), “Gyanesh BRO, JUST RESIGN,” and "Gaddaar Gyaanu Must Go.”
CJP has been demanding that there must be full transparency in the appointment of Kumar as the CEC. It has also demanded that the electoral list of 2025 be frozen because “it should not be tampered with further.”
Friday's rally took place on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.
Prior to the rally, Dipke garlanded a statue of Gandhi in south Mumbai before he left for the protest rally at Shivaji Park.
It was symbolic in terms of the way in which the rally was presented, as CJP leaders called Friday's rally an attempt to "save democracy" on a day dedicated to the nation's struggle for freedom.
This is after reports that two of the three members of the Election Commission, namely Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had officially raised objections at least 14 times over the last 10 months.
The objections were in relation to decisions regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and some of those decisions, according to them, were made without even informing them.
The CJP has referred to these reports explicitly in their arguments. In an interview conducted before the protest, one organizer, Abhijeet Dipke, posed this question: "Who gave Gyanesh Kumar the permission to disenfranchise 13 crore voters?"
It should be noted here that the Election Commission has refuted the suggestion of any kind of rift among its members by saying that all its decisions, including those regarding the SIR, were taken unanimously by the commission.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is an example of a youth-driven political movement, which was established on May 16, 2026, by Abhijeet Dipke, who is a political communication strategist and activist.
The CJP is a satirical political movement and not an actual political party that contests for elections; this political movement has been created to be a platform for disillusioned youth in India.
The name is largely seen as a mockery of the initials of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, along with a comment on comments made by the Chief Justice of India. The CJP's official X handle was suspended in India in May 2026, right after the movement was established.
Photo: @PTI
The Friday Mumbai protest saw backing from personalities such as the actor Naseeruddin Shah and the musician Vishal Dadlani, who were seen attending or supporting the protest at Shivaji Park.
The Delhi protest too was conducted on the same day as part of a concerted nation-wide effort against the Election Commission's management of the SIR exercise.
More than 700 individuals have been arrested, and there is no sign that Kumar will resign. The direct effect on the leadership of the Election Commission from this protest will remain unknown for the time being.
According to CJP, the "Jail Bharo Andolan" will be expanded across India, meaning that the protest in Mumbai on Friday will likely be replicated in other cities.
