Dipke, Das, CJP leaders and 400+ supporters booked after Shivaji Park protest in Mumbai
Here's the latest protest news from across India:
The Shivaji Park police have registered a case against Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurabh Das, Pranav Ahire, Ashutosh Ranka, Ajinkya Shinde, Afreen Nawaz, Saumya Korde, Ankit Bharadwaj, Vijay Malangi and Yogesh Ingle, along with more than 400 unidentified supporters, for allegedly holding an unlawful assembly and raising slogans during the party’s protest at Shivaji Park on Friday.
Adding to this, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, singer and songwriter Vishal Dadlani and others during a protest by CJP against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his resignation, at Shivaji Park, in Mumbai (PTI) According to the police, around 400-500 protesters gathered near Gate No. 6 of the Shivaji Park grounds, in front of the Meenatai Thackeray Memorial, from around 2pm to 7pm.
Meanwhile, The police alleged that the gathering obstructed traffic and that loudspeakers were used without the required permission. The case has been registered under Sections 189 (unlawful assembly) and 223 (disobedience to a public servant’s lawful order) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), besides Sections 37 and 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act.
Notably, The case follows the CJP’s decision to proceed with its ‘Jail Bharo Andolan��� at Shivaji Park despite the Mumbai Police denying permission for the gathering. The police had advised the organisers to seek an alternative venue, citing restrictions on the use of the historic ground under a 2013 Bombay High Court order and a subsequent Maharashtra government order. The police also shared the organisers had not submitted the requisite BMC permission for using the ground.
As per the latest buzz, In its communication to CJP, the police cited Shivaji Park’s residential surroundings and silence-zone status, warning that the protest could lead to noise pollution and traffic congestion and potentially affect access to hospitals in the vicinity. The organisers, however, went ahead with the agitation after CJP founder Dipke opened up that the denial of permission would lead to a ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’. Dipke had also posted on X that the Mumbai Police had denied permission for the October 2 protest, calling the decision an attempt to suppress citizens’ voices.
In further updates, The protest was organised to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid allegations concerning the Election Commission’s handling of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR ) of electoral rolls. CJP leaders have also demanded a criminal case against Kumar and a rollback of the SIR exercise. The Election Commission has defended the revision process.
On top of that, The gathering drew thousands of people, predominantly young protesters, as well as public figures including actors Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah, singer Vishal Dadlani and filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj. Tushar Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson, was also present. The police deployed around 300 personnel and shared the situation remained peaceful, with roads leading to Shivaji Park blocked during the protest and cleared afterwards.
Addressing the gathering, Dipke shared the protest was the beginning of a wider agitation and warned of a prolonged campaign if Kumar did not resign. He shared the movement would continue for three months and referred to a planned “Jantar Mantar 2.0”.
Source: Hindustan Times