New Delhi, Oct. 7 -- The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and student organisations on Wednesday joined hands for a united mobilisation ahead of their October 10 protest over electoral reforms, even as the Delhi Police prepares for a major security deployment with around 23,000 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel being made available in the national capital from October 8 to 12.
At a joint press conference, the CJP, All India Students' Association (AISA), All India Students' Federation (AISF), Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the Aam Aadmi Party's student wing, Association of Students for Alternative Politics (ASAP), said they would continue their campaign demanding changes in the electoral system.
The organisations are seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, a halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, restoration of the January 2025 voters' list and an independent inquiry into the revision process. They have also demanded changes to the 2023 law governing appointments to the Election Commission.
CJP co-convener Saurav Das appealed to people from across the country to participate in the October 10 mobilisation and said the campaign would continue despite the challenges involved.
"This fight is not going to be easy. I appeal to everyone across the country to join us, book train and flight tickets," Das said.
AISA president Neha Bora said the participating organisations had come together despite differences in their political affiliations, describing the mobilisation as a broader campaign involving students, civil society and opposition groups.
"There are no divisions. We, the people of India, versus the BJP. If we lead this fight unitedly, we will do it effectively," Bora said. The groups also backed the October 6 protest march by INDIA bloc MPs towards the Election Commission office, saying elected representatives had a responsibility to raise public concerns.
Das said the organisations were united around the objective of addressing what they described as shortcomings in the electoral system.
Meanwhile, the Centre has made available 221 CAPF companies, comprising roughly 23,000 personnel, to the Delhi Police for law-and-order duties between October 8 and 12. The deployment includes 111 companies that had already been made available during the CJP's July protests and another 110 companies sanctioned on October 6.
The additional deployment comprises 85 CRPF companies, 10 SSB companies, seven RAF companies, seven ITBP companies and one CISF company. Besides the CAPFs, around 15,000 Delhi Police personnel are expected to be deployed on the ground.
The scale of the deployment is larger than during several previous protests in the capital. Around 150 CAPF companies were deployed during the CJP's July agitation, while 93 companies were deployed during the 2020-21 farmers' protests.
The security arrangements come as the CJP has announced its fresh mobilisation as 'Jantar Mantar 2.0', beginning October 10.
On police permission for the protest, Das said the organisers had submitted a formal intimation at Parliament Street police station along with undertakings.
"Please don't use the word permission. Who is Delhi Police to give us permission?" he said, adding that the organisers would cooperate with the police.
"We will cooperate with Delhi Police and we hope Delhi Police will cooperate with us," Das said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.