At Delhi's Press Club, Cockroach Janata Party and Left student organizations reiterated their demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The organizations announced to protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10 regarding questions related to SIR.
New Delhi: Cockroach Janata Party and leftist student organizations held a press conference at Delhi's Press Club and reiterated their demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The organizations said that they will continue their protest on the issues related to the Election Commission and will protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on October 10. The press conference was attended by All India Students Association (AISA) President Neha, Cockroach Janata Party spokespersons Saurav Das and Ratna Singh, Students Federation of India (SFI) President Adarsh Shaji and All India Students Federation (AISF) President Viraj.
Announcement of demonstration at Jantar Mantar on 10th October
Cockroach Janata Party has announced to protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on 10 October. According to the organization, the main objective of the demonstration is to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
During the press conference, AISA President Neha Bora said that the organization's demonstration was held in Delhi, while the Cockroach Janata Party demonstrated in Mumbai. He claimed that around 1,000 people were detained in Delhi and the police beat up the protesters.
Neha Bora said that the protesters had earlier also forced the government to step back and now the same fight would be carried forward. He presented the proposed demonstration on October 10 as the next phase of the movement.
However, these allegations related to police action and alleged assault during the demonstration are not independently corroborated in the available material.
Claim of seven big demonstrations from October 2 to October 7
According to the Cockroach Janata Party and its supporting organisations, seven major demonstrations have been organized in different parts of the country between October 2 and October 7 demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar.
Organizations say that the main issue of these protests is the decisions related to Special Intensive Review i.e. SIR and the functioning of the Election Commission.
The protesting organizations allege that questions have been raised on transparency and institutional process regarding important decisions related to the electoral process. Regarding this issue they are demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner.
Questions raised on Election Commission regarding SIR
Questions have been raised by the opposition and some political and social organizations on the functioning of the Election Commission regarding SIR i.e. Special Intensive Review.
Citing a report by The Indian Express, the protesting parties said that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times on record on decisions and orders related to the SIR.
The report also claimed that some decisions were issued without the knowledge or recommendation of the two election commissioners. Based on these claims, opposition parties and protesting organizations are raising questions on the role of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
However, such allegations must be seen in the context of relevant reports and claims of the protesting parties. The available material does not include a detailed response from the Election Commission to all these allegations.
After Mumbai, agitation announced in Delhi
Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Deepke had announced the October 10 protest through a post on the social media platform X at around 10:46 pm on October 2.
Deepke had said that if Gyanesh Kumar does not resign, then cockroach Janata Party supporters from across the country will reach Delhi. He had also said that if Delhi Police tried to stop the protesters at any place, the same place would become Jantar Mantar for them.
Describing the proposed movement as peaceful, he had talked about following the path of Mahatma Gandhi.
Protestors emphasized on peaceful movement
Regarding the proposed demonstration on October 10, the organization has talked about a peaceful movement. In the press conference, the leaders talked about keeping the issues related to the Election Commission at the center of public debate and raising their demands through demonstrations.
The organizations say that earlier also the government had to change its position under the pressure of their movement and now they will try to create the same kind of pressure.
It is claimed that people from different parts of the country will reach Delhi in the proposed demonstration. However, independent confirmation of how many people will be involved is not yet available.
Why the demand for resignation of Gyanesh Kumar?
The main demand of the protesting organizations is the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Their protest is over reports related to decisions related to SIR, functioning of the Election Commission and alleged differences among election commissioners.
The protesting parties argue that transparency and institutional participation of all concerned election commissioners should be ensured in important decisions related to the election process.
At the same time, the final assessment of the decisions of the Election Commission and the questions arising regarding its constitutional role can be done only on the basis of official records, the Commission's response and related legal procedures.
Why is the October 10 protest important?
The Jantar Mantar protest of October 10 is being considered important because in the last few days, protest activities have come to light in different parts of the country regarding this issue. The protest in Delhi will be an attempt to take these activities forward in the national capital.
The joint presence of Cockroach Janata Party and Left student organizations indicates that the movement is getting support from student organizations and other protesting groups.
This demonstration will also be important for the administration from law and order point of view. Earlier, allegations have been made regarding the detention of protesters and police action in Delhi. In such a situation, preventing conflict between police and protesters during the demonstration on October 10 can be a major challenge.
Political dispute may escalate further
The ongoing protest demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar no longer seems to be limited to just one organization. Questions related to the functioning of SIR and Election Commission are being linked to opposition politics and activities of student organizations. However, a final conclusion on the allegations and reports related to the Election Commission can be drawn only after a thorough review of the official response and available documents.
After the proposed demonstration at Jantar Mantar on October 10, it will be clear how much the scope of the movement expands and how the government and the Election Commission react to this political pressure. At present, the protesting organizations are firm on their demands and are claiming to continue the nationwide agitation for the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar.