The pressure group has chosen October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti or the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi) to begin its “Jail Bharo Andolan” demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. New Delhi: A protest planned by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Mumbai is taking a Gandhi-inspired route.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke announced the programme after the Mumbai Police denied permission for the organisation’s proposed protest at Shivaji Park. The CJP then announced that it would go ahead with the jail-bharo protest on the Gandhi Jayanti. The organisation has announced protests in other cities after the Mumbai programme.
The EC has rejected such allegations and said its decisions followed the law. It has also said differences of view in a multi-member constitutional body are part of institutional functioning. The police cited existing High Court directions, civic permission requirements and possible traffic problems around the venue. The CJP has accused the Election Commission (EC) and Kumar of wrongdoing in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The use of Gandhi’s image brings an old form of protest into a campaign built around social media, young supporters and catchy political slogans. The plan includes demonstrations in Goa, Bengaluru and Kolkata.
The decision to stop the movement disappointed several Congress leaders and supporters who had invested in the campaign. Gandhi still went ahead with the withdrawal after the violence at Chauri Chaura.
