Archive · 3 Oct 2026
Vishal Bhardwaj Joins Mumbai Protest Against Election Chief
A group protested in Mumbai about changes to voter lists.
They want Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign and want the voter-list revision to stop.
Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj came to show support, but said he did not know the details of what had happened.
He said each person in Bollywood must decide for themselves whether to join such protests.
Actors Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah, along with singer-composer Vishal Dadlani, also attended.
Shabana Azmi said people should protest if their names are removed from voter lists.
The Election Commission said it removed names to exclude duplicate, deceased, or ineligible voters.
The two sides therefore disagree about whether the voter-list removals were improper.
Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj joined a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday.
Bhardwaj said he did not know what had happened and attended only to show support.
He said whether Bollywood figures support the issue is a personal choice.
The protest, led by Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, called for Kumar’s resignation and a halt to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
The Election Commission denied wrongdoing, saying removals targeted duplicate, deceased, or otherwise ineligible voters.
- Who
- Vishal Bhardwaj, other Bollywood figures, and Cockroach Janta Party protesters; the protest targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- What
- A protest demanding Kumar’s resignation and a halt to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
- When
- Friday, October 2; the year is not stated.
- Where
- Shivaji Park, Mumbai.
- Why
- Protesters objected to electoral-roll changes and the removal of names; the Election Commission said removals were intended to exclude duplicate, deceased, or otherwise ineligible voters.
Protesters
Election Commission
Electoral-roll removals
Protesters
Protesters objected to names being removed from electoral rolls and called for the Special Intensive Revision process to stop.
Election Commission
The Election Commission denied wrongdoing and said removals were aimed at excluding duplicate, deceased, or otherwise ineligible voters.
Response to the issue
Protesters
Shabana Azmi said people should protest when their voting rights or names on electoral rolls are taken away.
Election Commission
The Commission maintained that the removals were intended to address ineligible entries.
- Protest location
- Shivaji Park, Mumbai
- Date stated
- Friday, October 2; no year given
- Protest organizer
- Cockroach Janta Party, led by founder Abhijeet Dipke
- Demands
- Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and a halt to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls
- Bhardwaj’s explanation
- He said he was unaware of what had happened and had come to extend support.
- Election Commission’s position
- It denied wrongdoing and said removals targeted duplicate, deceased, or otherwise ineligible voters.
- Other attendees named
- Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, and Vishal Dadlani