Aaditya Thackeray backs CJP's call for protests from October 2 if CEC Gyanesh Kumar does not quit

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday backed Cockroach Janta Party's call to protest in huge numbers if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not resign.

"If Gyanesh doesn't go, Mumbai will step out against Vote Chori from 2nd October, in huge numbers!!" Thackeray said in a post on X.

Thackeray backs CJP's October 2 protest call

CJP co-founder Abhijit Dipke, in a post on X on Friday, had said his outfit would begin its nationwide protest from Mumbai on October 2, and take it to cities across India if Kumar did not quit.

CJP announces nationwide agitation

The Dipke-led outfit has also warned of a nationwide agitation, including what it called 'Jantar Mantar 2.0'.

Launching its "Election Commission Thik Karo" campaign, the youth-led outfit said the focus would be on the exclusion of more than 13 crore names from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union territories during the Special Intensive Revision exercise carried out by the ECI.

Election Commission responds to objections

The mobilisation against Kumar follows an Indian Express report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections on several occasions over decisions and orders regarding the SIR.

The Election Commission, however, has said that differing views and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations and asserted its orders have full legal sanction and follow statutory procedures.