INDIA Bloc Fails to Put Up Joint Protest on Day One

The silence of the Chief Election Commissioner and some of the actions that brought changes to the SIR process, such as amendments to Form 6, along with reports of differences between the three Election Commissioners, had raised several genuine doubts and questions in the minds of people who had so far felt that the Opposition was making much ado about nothing.

This issue provided some oxygen to the Opposition parties to reunite and resolve to launch protests demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. The INDIA bloc, which met on Wednesday, decided to hold agitations starting October 2.

So far, so good. But as we wrap up Day One of the protests, one thing has become clear: there are no joint protests being organised. The Left parties and the CJP organised separate protests. This time, the CJP chose Shivaji Park in Mumbai for its protest instead of Jantar Mantar. At Jantar Mantar, Left party activists and some AAP leaders protested, though the police detained them, saying there was no permission for the protest and that they anticipated a law-and-order problem.

Much of Dipke’s outreach to autorickshaw drivers, shopkeepers and ordinary people took place away from Shivaji Park — over cups of tea at a tapri, a plate of poha from a roadside stall and long walks through the city.

In Mumbai, CJP leaders, including Abhijeet Dipke, demanded the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar in their speeches and took jibes at the Union Government, calling it “incompetent”.

He said, “The Government is so incompetent that we have to protest again in two months.”

The film stars who had joined hands with the CJP at Jantar Mantar during the NEET protest were also seen at the venue. Among them was Naseeruddin Shah, who praised Dipke after a handshake, while Dipke also praised Shah. A video went viral in which Dipke was heard saying, “I am a fan of yours, Sir. I had no idea you were here.” Shah replied, “I knew you were here, and I am a big fan of yours.”

Similarly, actress Shabana Azmi and a few others also attended the protest meeting.

Interestingly, some youngsters at the protest site were not aware of why the protest was being held. When asked, they spoke about unemployment, but no one could explain the actual demand behind the protest.

Meanwhile, a Shivaji Park resident and advocate by profession, Siddhi Deolekar, has filed a complaint at the Shivaji Park Police Station against Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke and others over the October 2 protest at the iconic Mumbai venue.

In a post on X, Deolekar said she had lodged the complaint against Dipke, CJP co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and another individual, alleging that they were attempting to proceed with the protest and gather a large crowd despite the authorities denying permission.