1 hr ago
Delhi Protest: CJP Says Kumar Resignation Won’t End Agitation
The Cockroach Janta Party planned a protest in Delhi about how voter lists were changed.
It wants Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign.
But the party says that his resignation by itself would not make it stop protesting.
It also wants the voter-list review paused and investigated.
The party has made other demands about elections and how election commissioners are chosen.
Police and other forces detained many people before they could reach the protest site.
The report says around 1,500 people were detained in the capital.
It also says some metro stations closed and some trains were cancelled.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) called a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over alleged electoral-roll irregularities.
CJP co-convenor Saurav Das said Kumar’s resignation alone would not end the agitation.
The party also wants upcoming elections put on hold, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) frozen, and an independent inquiry into SIR decision-making.
Other demands include criminal proceedings against Kumar and changes to the law and process for appointing election commissioners.
Authorities detained about 1,500 people, including CJP leaders and activists; the report also says metro stations were closed and some trains cancelled.
- Who
- The Cockroach Janta Party, including co-convenor Saurav Das, and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- What
- CJP called a protest seeking Kumar’s resignation and changes to the SIR exercise and election processes; Das said resignation alone would not end the agitation.
- Where
- Jantar Mantar and other locations in Delhi, with detentions also reported in Gurugram, Chandigarh and Mumbai.
- When
- Saturday; the article says the SIR exercise began last year in Bihar.
- Why
- CJP says it is protesting alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls and the decision-making around the SIR.
Key facts
- Protest location
- Jantar Mantar, Delhi
- Main demand
- Resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar
- Additional SIR demands
- Pause the exercise and establish an independent inquiry into its decision-making
- Other demands
- Put upcoming elections on hold, pursue criminal proceedings against Kumar, and change the election commissioner appointment process
- Reported electoral-roll removals
- More than 130 million names from draft rolls across 30 states and Union Territories, according to a report cited in the article
- Reported objections
- Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded at least 14 formal objections over 10 months, according to the cited investigation
- Reported detentions
- About 1,500 people, including politicians and activists, were detained in the capital
Quotes
Saurav Das
Co-convenor of the Cockroach Janta Party
“Even if Gyanesh Kumar resigns, we will not bow down.”
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