CJP founder demands Election Chief's resignation at Kochi protest

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke called for the removal of the Central government by the 2029 general elections during a public meeting in Kochi on Saturday. Speaking at the 'Jantar Mantar @ Kochi' protest at Rajendra Maidan, Mr. Dipke demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision.

Details

Carrying a tricolour, Mr. Dipke stated that any political change must happen through the democratic electoral system. This marked his first public address in Keralam. He questioned why the Chief Election Commissioner is so important to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and criticized the use of State forces against protests in Delhi. He also compared current political conditions to the past tenure of Manmohan Singh.

Reactions

Praising Keralam for its education and literacy standards, Mr. Dipke hit back at BJP criticism that his party is a group of anarchists, saying the tag suits the Sangh Parivar. He added that the Centre's security crackdown and mass detentions ahead of a planned October 10 protest in Delhi showed fear. Hundreds of youths and civil rights activists attended the event. Actor-activist Prakash Raj led a march from Marine Drive to Rajendra Maidan, while CPI(M) leader P. Rajeeve, writer N.S. Madhavan, former MP Sebastian Paul, lawyer Kaleeswaram Raj, and student leaders also spoke.

Context

Protests involving civil rights groups and regional political figures often target central election bodies over voter list revisions and electoral rules. Political gatherings in educational hubs like Kochi frequently draw speakers from diverse literary, legal, and activist backgrounds to debate national policies.