India’s youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has launched a fresh round of protests over changes to voter lists, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Hundreds of CJP supporters gathered in Mumbai on Friday, October 2, as the movement began a new campaign against the Election Commission’s ongoing revision of electoral rolls. The group has said it plans to expand demonstrations to other parts of the country.
The protests are focused on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls. The exercise began in Bihar and has subsequently expanded to other states and Union territories. The Election Commission says the revision is intended to identify and remove duplicate, deceased and otherwise ineligible entries while ensuring eligible voters remain on the rolls.
Critics, opposition parties and activists have raised concerns that documentation requirements could make it difficult for some eligible voters to remain registered. They have also alleged that the changes could disproportionately affect certain groups and benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Election Commission and the government have rejected allegations of wrongdoing.
Protests In Mumbai And Delhi
In Mumbai, CJP supporters gathered at Shivaji Park, carrying national flags and placards calling for Kumar’s resignation. The organisation has described the Mumbai demonstration as the beginning of a wider nationwide campaign.
In New Delhi, student and civil society groups also attempted to gather at Jantar Mantar. Police imposed restrictions on gatherings in the area and detained hundreds of demonstrators, including members of opposition groups and student organisations, according to reports.
The demonstrations follow reports of disagreements within the three-member Election Commission over aspects of voter-list revisions, registration procedures and digital systems. The commission has disputed descriptions of these differences as formal objections, saying they reflected differing views and deliberations.
From Online Campaign To Street Protests
The Cockroach movement initially emerged as an online youth campaign before moving into large-scale street demonstrations. It gained national attention earlier this year during protests over examination paper leaks, which were followed by the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The movement has since broadened its focus to issues involving government accountability and democratic institutions. Its latest campaign places the Election Commission and voter-roll revision at the centre of its protests.
The CJP has said demonstrations will continue and expand across India, while separate opposition-led protests over the voter-roll issue are also expected.
The dispute comes as India’s electoral authorities continue the large-scale voter-roll revision, making the process and its impact on eligible voters a subject of intense political and public debate.
