CJP supporters rally at Azad Maidan in solidarity with detained leaders

Cockroach Janta Party activists held a ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ protest at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Speakers raised concerns over alleged police brutality, inflation, unemployment and voting figures during the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections

Mumbai: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activists on Friday held a ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Hundreds of CJP supporters and members of student organisations attended the protest, many carrying the national flag and raising slogans against the government.

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Activist Anjali Damania, who addressed the protesters, sought accountability for what she described as the “brutality” of the Delhi Police towards protesters in the national capital.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Sandip Deshpande, who was also present, alleged that the Narendra Modi-led Union government was trying to divert public attention from pressing issues such as inflation and rising unemployment.

Mumbai Police had granted permission to the CJP on Thursday to organise the protest at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai. Around 500 police personnel were deployed to maintain law and order in and around the ground.

The protest was organised to express solidarity with CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, who were sent to five-day judicial custody on Wednesday after entering Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and raising slogans.

Damania, known for taking up corruption-related issues, described herself as a CJP activist. She said the organisation had wanted to hold the protest at the Gateway of India but had not received permission.

“No one can stop us from waving the Tiranga,” she said, adding that the rules allowed citizens to wave the national flag at any time.

Kumar, who was appointed Chief Election Commissioner in March 2024, has overseen Assembly elections in 15 states, Damania noted. She alleged that 76 lakh votes were added to the final tally between 5 pm and 6 pm during the Maharashtra Assembly elections held in November 2024.

“He (Kumar) took decisions without taking the two Election Commissioners into confidence. All decisions were taken by Gyanesh Kumar alone. Our demand is that Gyanesh Kumar has to resign,” she said, adding that even BJP supporters should join the protests.