CJP seeks CEC resignation, threatens Jantar Mantar 2.0
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Thursday demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar for “undermining” voter rights, and warned of a nationwide agitation, including “Jantar Mantar 2.0”, if he does not step down within 48 hours.
Launching what it termed the “Election Commission Thik Karo” campaign, the outfit said the campaign would focus on the exclusion of more than 13 crore names from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union territories during the SIR exercise.
Speaking at a press conference here, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, flanked by its co-convener Saurav Das and spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka, alleged that the electoral process had been “rigged” and the right to vote was being taken away from citizens.
“If Gyanesh Kumar does not resign within 48 hours, we will start a nationwide protest, before coming for a protest in Delhi,” Dipke said, adding that if the CEC doesn’t resign, “Jantar Mantar 2.0 will definitely happen”. The CJP said if CEC Kumar does not resign, the party would launch a nationwide agitation followed by an indefinite sit-in in Delhi.
The remarks came a day after a report said that questions were repeatedly raised on issues related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls within the three-member Election Commission (EC) by two election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
The party cited voter exclusions reported across several states during the SIR, including more than 2 crore names in Maharashtra, more than 2 crore in Uttar Pradesh, around 1 crore in Karnataka, 97 lakh in Tamil Nadu, 90 lakh in West Bengal, 73 lakh in Telangana, 47 lakh in Delhi, and 24 lakh in Kerala. Dipke also urged opposition parties not to participate in polls if they believe the elections are being rigged.
The CJP presented three demands: the resignation of the poll panel chief, an independent investigation into decisions taken during the SIR, including identification of officials who authorised disputed changes and directions; halting the SIR exercise and restoration of earlier voter rolls and transfer of all relevant SIR records and files to the Supreme Court or an independent judicially supervised inquiry; and reforms in the appointment of the CEC and ECs.
It also demanded that Election Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi publicly clarify their recorded objections and that the Election Commission publish the relevant objection notes and responses.
