Mumbai, Oct. 2 -- Thousands of people gathered on Friday afternoon for the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. While police have denied permission for the protest, youths carrying placards of slogans and the tricolour turned up in large numbers at the ground, known for political rallies. Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, among others, was present at the protest venue. Police and other security forces, too, were deployed in large numbers in the area, a traditional stronghold of the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS have extended support to the CJP's agitation. Police and railway authorities also deployed forces around the Dadar railway station ahead of the demonstration that was set to start after 4 pm. Major entry points to the ground have been barricaded. Some residents of the area voiced opposition to the protest taking place in their neighbourhood. Police officials said they were closely monitoring the situation to maintain law and order and ensure that traffic remains unaffected. Earlier in the day, CJP convenor Abhijeet Dipke paid floral tributes to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in south Mumbai to mark the birth anniversary of the father of the nation.

The CJP has demanded transparency in the appointment of the CEC and called for freezing of the 2025 voter list, saying it should not be "tampered with further". The CJP announced its protest demanding CEC Kumar's resignation after recent media reports found that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months to decisions and orders related to the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls, some of which they said were issued without their knowledge. The Election Commission later clarified that the three-member commission took all decisions, including those relating to the SIR, unanimously.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.