New Delhi, 03 October (H.S.): Amid the ongoing standoff over demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and an immediate halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has announced plans to intensify its agitation. The party said that if its demands are not met, it will hold a large-scale protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on October 10.

CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke wrote on X, “If Gyanesh Kumar doesn’t resign, cockroaches from across India will march to Delhi and protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10. If the Delhi Police stops us anywhere along the way, wherever they stop us will become our Jantar Mantar. In our fight to protect democracy and free and fair elections, we will follow the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi.” The announcement came a day after the party held a rally at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park despite not receiving police permission.

Meanwhile, more than 1,100 leaders and student activists, including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Sanjay Singh, were detained during Friday’s demonstrations in Delhi. Tensions remained high on Saturday, with heavy police barricading and heightened security arrangements. Members of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) again began gathering near Jantar Mantar amid the security deployment.

Meanwhile, senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Prashant Bhushan, along with social activist Avik Saha and a group of other lawyers and young people, were marching towards Jantar Mantar to join the protest. The demonstrators said that transparency and fairness in electoral processes cannot be compromised.

On the other hand, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken cognisance of a complaint concerning the protest organised by the CJP at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on October 2. The Commission has reportedly issued notices to the concerned authorities seeking an action-taken report over allegations that minor children were mobilised during the demonstration and allegedly used to prevent police action.

The CJP had earlier led a month-long agitation at Jantar Mantar over the alleged leakage of examination question papers. The protests were followed by the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, according to the party and reports on the earlier agitation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar