The Congress has reached out to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) through advocate Prashant Bhushan in an attempt to broaden the Opposition's protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, marking a shift from its earlier stance of describing the outfit as an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) proxy, people familiar with the matter said.
Bhushan attempted to bring the CJP leadership to a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders hosted by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi at his residence on Tuesday evening. However, the outfit did not attend the meeting, and its role was not formally discussed during the gathering, the people cited above said.
The outreach comes as the Congress leadership seeks to bring civil society groups and other organisations together for protests over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Gandhi's willingness to accommodate the CJP in the broader Opposition movement has also changed perceptions of the Congress's position towards the outfit, according to people aware of the discussions.
Rahul Gandhi calls Opposition and CJP protests ‘one protest’
The Congress's latest outreach marks a departure from its earlier criticism of the CJP, which it had described as an AAP “proxy” and an activist group rather than a recognised political outfit.
On Monday, Gandhi sought to bridge the divide between the Opposition's demonstrations, student agitations and the CJP's protests, insisting that they were part of the same movement.
“All protests are one protest. There are no parallel protests. We don’t care who you are,” he said, referring to the CJP's efforts as “students tried to protest”.
Gandhi reiterated his support on Wednesday after CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to five days of judicial custody over an alleged security breach at Jantar Mantar.
“What crime did they commit? Waving the Tricolour at Jantar Mantar in a peaceful protest is not a crime. Jailing youth for it is an act of cowardice. Students. Youth. Journalists. The INDIA bloc. Different banners, one cause. All protests are one: citizens demanding their constitutional rights. Jantar Mantar belongs to the people of India. We will reclaim it,” he said.
The remarks came amid mounting Opposition criticism of the restrictions on demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, which has been a focal point of protests demanding Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise.
CJP coordinates with Opposition parties after leaders' detention
The CJP has maintained closer contact with several Opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the AAP and the Left bloc, which have offered the outfit support and coordination despite the Congress's earlier scepticism.
According to a senior Opposition leader, after Das and Ranka were taken into preventive custody, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke informed a senior TMC leader about the development. The leader then coordinated with other Opposition parties to organise a synchronised condemnation of the action.
The episode highlights the varying approaches adopted by Opposition parties towards the CJP, even as they seek to mobilise support against the Election Commission over the SIR process.
Congress seeks wider support for campaign against CEC
The Congress's attempt to engage the CJP through Bhushan is part of a broader effort to bring civil society organisations and other groups into its campaign against Kumar.
The party has been seeking to build a wider coalition around allegations of irregularities in the electoral roll revision exercise. Gandhi's statements that the demonstrations should be treated as a common movement, irrespective of the banner under which they are organised, have reinforced the Congress's attempt to widen the campaign.
Although the CJP did not attend Tuesday's INDIA bloc meeting and was not formally discussed, the outreach signals a possible change in the Congress's approach towards the outfit as Opposition parties attempt to coordinate their protests.