Complaint Filed Against CJP Leaders Over Shivaji Park Protest Demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation

A Mumbai resident has filed a police complaint against Cockroach Janta Party leaders, calling their protest as illegal against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Shivaji Park.

Complaint Filed Over Shivaji Park Protest

Advocate Siddhi Deolekar, who said she has lived in Shivaji Park for the past 10 years, filed the complaint with the Mumbai Police on Friday.

Deolekar said she supports the right to protest but objected to the demonstration being held on the roads despite police denial of permission.

“I have lodged a complaint against the CJP founders for conducting an illegal protest today,” Deolekar told ANI.

She referred to a Bombay High Court order cited by the Mumbai Police while denying permission for the protest at Shivaji Park.

According to Deolekar, the protesters could have used designated protest venues such as Azad Maidan or Jantar Mantar instead of gathering outside residential buildings.

“Why block the roads and traffic and sit outside other people’s houses to protest?” she said, adding that those seeking Kumar’s resignation should protest at designated locations.

Mumbai Police Assures Residents

Deolekar thanked the Mumbai Police for assisting residents who approached officers during the protest.

She said residents were seeking police assistance and reassurance amid the demonstration and expressed hope that appropriate action would be taken against the organisers.

Protests Also Held in Delhi

The Shivaji Park protest came amid demonstrations in Delhi by student activists and AAP leaders, who are also demanding Kumar’s resignation.

More than 1000 protesters were reportedly detained in Delhi, including AAP leaders Atishi and Sanjay Singh. Attempts were also made to detain All India Students' Association president Neha Bora.

Why Is CJP Seeking Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation?

The protests follow a political controversy over reported differences among Election Commission members on several decisions concerning electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision exercise.

A report by The Indian Express alleged that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections to several decisions of the poll panel over a 10-month period. The reported concerns included changes to Form 6, access to the electoral roll database, and decisions involving voter additions, deletions and restoration.

Opposition parties subsequently called for Kumar’s resignation and sought Supreme Court intervention, raising questions about the functioning of the Election Commission.

The Election Commission rejected the suggestion that the reported differences indicated a breakdown within the poll panel. It said individual views and suggestions are part of deliberations in a multi-member constitutional body and maintained that final decisions, including those related to the SIR exercise, were taken unanimously.

The ECI later said decisions on SIR had the approval of all three commissioners.