New Delhi, Oct 28 The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Wednesday extended its support to the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
In a statement, the outfit said the SIR exercise had raised serious concerns about the exclusion of eligible voters and alleged that the Election Commission was undermining the principle that people should choose their government, rather than the government choosing its voters.
“By undermining this very principle through SIR, Gyanesh Kumar has lost the trust required to oversee free and fair elections. His resignation is therefore necessary to restore the credibility and independence of the Election Commission,” the CJP said.
In a post on X sharing the statement, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said, “Gyanu must go! The Cockroach Janta Party extends its support to the INDIA Bloc’s November 1 rally. Nation above all!”
TMC joint secretary Derek O’Brien also shared Dipke’s post, and said, “I.ND.I.A. We are ALL in this together”.
Invoking the Constituent Assembly’s commitment to universal adult franchise, the outfit said Dr B R Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru and other makers of the Constitution had placed their faith in the people at a time when millions of Indians had never participated in an election.
“They understood that democracy could only succeed when every citizen had an equal say in deciding the country’s future,” the statement said.
“The idea was simple: bring more citizens into democracy, not keep them out of it,” it said.
The CJP said SIR exercise has raised serious concerns about the removal of eligible voters from electoral rolls. “Instead of making it easier for citizens to exercise their voting rights, we are witnessing growing fears of exclusion.”
“Dr. Ambedkar fought to ensure that every Indian had an equal political voice, irrespective of their social or economic standing. That principle must be protected by every government and constitutional institution,” the outfit said.
The outfit said the Election Commission was responsible for safeguarding the voting rights of every eligible citizen and should not create obstacles to exercising them.
“Our Constitution gave every adult citizen the right to vote. It is our responsibility to ensure that no eligible citizen is deprived of that right,” the statement said.
The CJP said it would support all organisations fighting for free and fair elections in the country. The statement ended with the slogans “Jai Bhim” and “Jai Hind”.
The statement was also endorsed by CJP co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.
“We extend our support to the INDIA Bloc’s November 1 protest rally. Justice and accountability must prevail!” Das said in a post on X.
“CJP will support all the efforts that align with our agenda of a more democratic and accountable India,” Ranka said in a post on X.
The INDIA bloc has planned a rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan on November 1 to protest against alleged electoral irregularities and demand the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The rally is part of the opposition’s campaign against the exercise, which it alleges could lead to the exclusion of eligible voters.
(PTI News)
