CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke warned of huge crowds at a Mumbai protest against the Election Commission. He also accused a Delhi DCP of being Amit Shah’s favourite. Actor Shabana Azmi also addressed the gathering, stressing the importance of voting rights.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leader Abhijeet Dipke, while addressing a protest gathering against the Election Commission and alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Mumbai on Friday, said a large number of people would arrive from across the country and that the barricades would not be enough. “So many people will arrive that your barricades won’t be enough!” Dipke said while addressing the gathering.
Dipke targets Delhi Police DCP
Amid a protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, Dipke alleged Delhi Police DCP Sachin Sharma was “Amit Shah’s favourite.” “Some police officers were telling me that this Sachin Sharma is a Sanghi. He is Amit Shah’s favourite. So I want to tell Sachin Sharma: if you are a Sanghi, wear khaki shorts (RSS uniform), don’t wear the police uniform!” he said.
‘This is a victory of democracy’: Shabana Azmi
Actor Shabana Azmi, while addressing the gathering, said voting was a right and a person’s voice, and questioned what people would do if their names were struck off the electoral rolls. “We will protest! This is our right, and today, look as far as your eyes can see—this is a victory of democracy.” Azmi said.
She said people had recognised their own power and learned that they did not have to tolerate injustice, adding that the Constitution had guaranteed them the right to vote. “Our Constitution has guaranteed that you are entitled to this right,” Azmi said.
ECI Clarifies Amid Allegations
The protest followed the allegations of irregularities and objections raised by the Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, as per The Indian Express report. However, the ECI has clarified that the decisions regarding the SIR exercise were unanimous.
Earlier, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was a “traitor” and the “real anti-national”, and said the protest in Mumbai would receive support from people across the country.
Opposition Leaders Detained in Delhi Protest
Meanwhile in Delhi, members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), along with opposition leaders, staged protests near Jantar Mantar in Delhi, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Several opposition leaders, including AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj, were detained amid prohibitory restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
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