02 October,2026 07:10 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The CJP has said it plans to continue its agitation in other parts of the country over its demands concerning the Election Commission and electoral rolls. Pic/Sameer Abedi
Hundreds of protesters gathered at Shivaji Park on Friday amid heavy police security for a demonstration by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over issues related to the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, reported the PTI.
Actor Naseeruddin Shah and singer Vishal Dadlani were among hundreds who joined the protesters at Shivaji Park on Friday.
The protest, scheduled for 4 pm, saw protesters carrying placards, tricolours and banners with slogans directed at Kumar.
According to the PTI, police had deployed additional personnel and erected barricades around the area, while some local residents had opposed the holding of the demonstration at the park.
Protesters began arriving in the area from the afternoon, ahead of the scheduled demonstration. Barricades were put up at several entry points, while additional security personnel were deployed around Shivaji Park and Dadar railway station.
The demonstration also drew student groups and other activists. Protesters used slogans, satirical posters and film references to highlight their demands.
Some participants carried posters reading "Gyanesh BRO, JUST RESIGN" and other slogans calling for Kumar to step down.
Members of student organisations, including the Students' Federation of India (SFI), were among those present at the protest. Groups affiliated with the All India Students' Federation (AISF) from Pune also used musical instruments while raising slogans, as per the PTI.
The demonstration coincided with Gandhi Jayanti, with references to Mahatma Gandhi's teachings on non-violence and simplicity. Some protesters also displayed references to Dr BR Ambedkar.
Protesters used a variety of props and placards to draw attention to their demands, including banners referring to alleged irregularities in the electoral roll revision process.
The CJP's protest follows reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months concerning decisions and orders related to electoral-roll management and the SIR.
According to the reports, some of the objections involved orders that the two commissioners said had been issued without their knowledge.
The Election Commission, however, has said that the three-member commission took its decisions, including those concerning the SIR, unanimously.
The Mumbai Police had earlier denied permission for the CJP's proposed protest at Shivaji Park. The organisers nevertheless went ahead with the demonstration, with police and other security agencies deployed in large numbers around the park and Dadar station, as per the PTI.
The CJP has said it plans to continue its agitation in other parts of the country over its demands concerning the Election Commission and electoral rolls.
(with PTI inputs)
