The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced it will mobilize a nationwide march on New Delhi next weekend unless Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resigns.
The call follows a protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park that drew thousands of demonstrators despite police denying permission for the gathering.
A similar protest at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar saw several opposition politicians and student leaders being detained on Friday, which is also observed as Gandhi Jayanti to honor the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, a global pioneer of nonviolence.
“If Gyanesh Kumar doesn’t resign, cockroaches from across India will march to Delhi and protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10,” CJP founder and convener Abhijeet Dipke said in the statement.
“And if the Delhi Police tries to stop us, wherever they stop us will become our Jantar Mantar. Ours will be a peaceful protest. We will walk on the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi.”
Calling on people to join the march to preserve free and fair elections in the country, Dipke called it “a fight to save our democracy.”
The announcement follows a tense October 2, when Delhi Police detained more than 700 demonstrators, including former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, from Jantar Mantar and surrounding areas, local media reported.
Police had denied permission for the Delhi gathering and imposed Section 163 restrictions barring assemblies of more than five people.
The CJP-led gathering in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park also saw a huge turnout, including film actors and musicians, but did not face a similar violent crackdown from authorities.
It is the latest flashpoint in a months-long movement that began as online satire in May and escalated into repeated street demonstrations, including a July 20 protest where Delhi Police used batons to disperse crowds. It led to the resignation of India’s then-Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in late July.
