India’s Cockroach movement plans to launch nationwide protests on October 2 if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not resign by Saturday.
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the self-named Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), announced the plan on Friday. He said the campaign would begin in Mumbai before spreading to other Indian cities.
The announcement follows a 48-hour ultimatum issued by CJP on Thursday. The group has accused the Election Commission of undermining voters’ rights.
Why the India Cockroach Movement Is Targeting Gyanesh Kumar
The India Cockroach Movement has demanded Kumar’s resignation amid controversy over the management of electoral rolls.
The dispute followed an Indian Express investigation reporting that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections to certain decisions involving electoral-roll management.
The reported concerns included voter additions, deletions, restorations, changes to Form 6 and access to electoral-roll data.
Opposition groups have also questioned whether changes to voter lists could benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
However, those political allegations remain claims by opposition groups and the CJP. The Election Commission has rejected suggestions of an institutional breakdown.
CJP Sets October 2 for Nationwide Protests
Dipke said the protests would start in Mumbai on October 2, which is Gandhi Jayanti, if Kumar does not resign by Saturday.
“If Gyanesh Kumar does not resign by tomorrow,” Dipke said, the CJP would begin its nationwide protest from Mumbai and take it to cities across India.
The group previously warned of a broader agitation, including what it described as “Jantar Mantar 2.0.”
The latest announcement therefore raises the possibility of renewed demonstrations over the Election Commission’s handling of voter rolls.
Election Commission Defends Its Decisions
The Election Commission of India has defended its internal decision-making process.
The poll panel said differences among officials can occur within any institution. It also maintained that its actions have followed the law.
The commission has rejected suggestions that disagreements between election officials represent an institutional rupture. It has said written notes and internal checks are part of the functioning of a multi-member constitutional body.
Protests Could Expand Across India
The India Cockroach Movement has said its October 2 campaign would begin in Mumbai and later reach other cities.
For now, the immediate deadline is Saturday, September 26. The planned demonstrations depend on whether Kumar steps down before that deadline.
The dispute highlights growing political tensions around electoral-roll revisions and the role of the Election Commission ahead of upcoming elections.
