The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Thursday demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar for "undermining" voter rights, and warned of a nationwide agitation, including "Jantar Mantar 2.0"
NEW DELHI — The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Thursday demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar for "undermining" voter rights, and warned of a nationwide agitation, including "Jantar Mantar 2.0", if he does not step down within 48 hours.
Speaking at a press conference here, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke alleged that the electoral process had been "rigged" and the right to vote was being taken away from citizens.
"If Gyanesh Kumar does not resign within 48 hours, we will start a nationwide protest, before coming for a protest in Delhi," Dipke said, adding that if the CEC doesn't resign, "Jantar Mantar 2.0 will definitely happen".
He also said opposition parties should not participate in polls if they believe they are being rigged.
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"If you know elections are being rigged, you cannot participate. You will have to take a stand," he said.
Dipke alleged that Kumar was the "biggest threat to Indian democracy" and accused the EC of deciding who would be allowed to vote.
"Who is Gyanesh to revoke our right to vote?" he said, calling for criminal proceedings against him.
The remarks came a day after The Indian Express revealed that questions were repeatedly raised on issues related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls within the three-member Election Commission (EC) by two of the three election commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
The national rollout of the SIR has been under the supervision of all three commissioners. But Sandhu and Joshi have formally objected, on record, at least 14 times over the last 10 months four times on a single day to decisions taken and orders issued, they say, without their knowledge, according to the report in the English daily.