‘Jantar Mantar at Kochi’: CJP announces anti-SIR protest on November 7

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Thursday announced a fresh protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala's Kochi on November 7, renewing its demand for the cancellation of the exercise and the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

The demonstration, titled 'Jantar Mantar at Kochi', will be held at Rajendra Maidan from 4 pm on Saturday. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, national secretary Aafreen Nawaz and south zone lead Vijay Mallangi are expected to participate.

Announcing the programme on social media platform X, the party called upon supporters to join the demonstration to defend democratic rights and oppose the ongoing revision of electoral rolls.

"Save Democracy! Cancel SIR! Join Us - 7th November - 4 PM | Rajendra Maidan, Kochi," the party said in its announcement.

The protest posters also carried demands for the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the cancellation of the SIR exercise, reflecting the party's continuing campaign against the Election Commission's voter list revision process.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗞𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗮

The Kochi demonstration marks a fresh phase in the CJP's campaign against the SIR exercise, which the party has criticised over concerns about electoral transparency and the possible exclusion of eligible voters.

The party has been demanding that the Election Commission withdraw the exercise and that Gyanesh Kumar step down as Chief Election Commissioner.

The gathering is being organised under the banner 'Jantar Mantar at Kochi', drawing a connection with the protests previously planned by the organisation in the national capital.

Actor Prakash Raj and All India Students' Federation (AISF) national president Viraaj Devang are also among those expected to participate in the public gathering.

Organisers have sought the participation of political organisations, trade unions, cultural groups, students, youth and women's organisations.

The programme is also expected to include cultural performances, including folk songs and a short play, as part of efforts to mobilise public support for the campaign.

𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗵𝗶 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀

The announcement comes weeks after CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by Delhi Police during a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 13.

The two leaders, along with other party members, had entered the protest site carrying the national flag and raised slogans against the Chief Election Commissioner.

Police said the protesters had entered Jantar Mantar without authorisation after the site was denotified as a designated protest location.

The authorities accused the activists of trespassing, violating prohibitory orders and breaching peace bonds.

Das and Ranka were subsequently sent to judicial custody and lodged in Tihar Jail before being released on October 21 after furnishing personal and surety bonds of Rs 50,000 each.

CJP leaders had criticised the police action, alleging that restrictions on demonstrations were being used to suppress dissent.

𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝘀

Meanwhile, Das and Ranka appeared before the Delhi Police Crime Branch on Thursday in connection with the October protest and the cases registered against them.

The two leaders reached the Crime Branch office in Rajouri Garden after being summoned for questioning over the incidents at Jantar Mantar.

Following the questioning, Ranka described the proceedings as routine and said the organisation would cooperate with the investigation.

He maintained that the CJP had confidence in a fair investigation and would continue to engage with the authorities in accordance with the law.

The cases against the leaders had earlier been transferred to the Crime Branch for further investigation.

𝗦𝗜𝗥 𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝘀

The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls has emerged as a contentious political issue, with opposition groups raising concerns about its implementation and the possibility of eligible voters being excluded from electoral lists.

The Election Commission has maintained that electoral roll revision is intended to ensure the accuracy of voter records and remove ineligible entries.

The CJP, however, has continued to question the exercise and demanded greater accountability from the poll body.

With the November 7 demonstration, the organisation is seeking to extend its campaign beyond Delhi and mobilise supporters in Kerala.

The Kochi gathering will be among the party's first major public demonstrations since the arrests of its leaders during the October protests in the national capital.