Indian opposition party threatens Delhi protest over election commission chief

The Cockroach Janta Party has escalated its campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, announcing a fresh protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar scheduled for October 10 if the official does not resign. Party leader Abhijeet Dipke made the declaration Friday evening following a major demonstration at Mumbai's Shivaji Park, a venue historically associated with significant political rallies. "If Gyanesh Kumar doesn't resign, activists from across India will march to Delhi and protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10," Dipke posted on social media, characterizing the planned agitation as peaceful and calling on all citizens concerned about electoral integrity to participate. The party has demanded that Kumar resign and face criminal proceedings, though the specific allegations underlying these calls remain unclear from available reports. Earlier at the Shivaji Park gathering, Dipke had warned of escalated action, referring to the threatened Delhi demonstration as "Jantar Mantar 2.0." Despite afternoon heat and police barricades—the event had been denied official permission—large numbers of supporters, predominantly young men and women, turned out for the Mumbai rally, underscoring significant public engagement with the party's campaign against the election commission leadership.