New Delhi: A protest planned by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Mumbai is taking a Gandhi-inspired route.
The pressure group has chosen October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti or the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi) to begin its “Jail Bharo Andolan” demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke announced the programme after the Mumbai Police denied permission for the organisation’s proposed protest at Shivaji Park. The CJP then announced that it would go ahead with the jail-bharo protest on the Gandhi Jayanti. The organisation has announced protests in other cities after the Mumbai programme.
The police cited existing High Court directions, civic permission requirements and possible traffic problems around the venue. The use of Gandhi’s image brings an old form of protest into a campaign built around social media, young supporters and catchy political slogans. The plan includes demonstrations in Goa, Bengaluru and Kolkata. Gandhi later claimed responsibility for the consequences of the movement.
In his 1922 statement during his trial, he said, “I would have failed in my duty if I did not say what I said here just now.”
The CJP has accused the Election Commission (EC) and Kumar of wrongdoing in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The EC later ordered a review of its voter-roll software.
The EC has rejected such allegations and said its decisions followed the law. It has also said differences of view in a multi-member constitutional body are part of institutional functioning. It said the review would check whether ECINet follows election laws and rules. The commission has also said that internal objections are part of institutional deliberations and that all final decisions were unanimous.
The decision to stop the movement disappointed several Congress leaders and supporters who had invested in the campaign. Gandhi still went ahead with the withdrawal after the violence at Chauri Chaura.
