The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Wednesday supported INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, accusing the poll body’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of undermining electoral democracy and raising concerns over the exclusion of eligible voters. Saying “Gyanu must go”, the party said the CEC had lost the trust required to oversee free and fair elections and called for the Election Commission’s credibility and independence to be restored.

SIR exercise undermined principle of democracy: CJP
In a statement, the CJP added that the fundamental principle of democracy was that people chose their government, not the other way around. It argued that the SIR exercise had undermined this principle by raising concerns over the removal of eligible voters from electoral rolls.

“The fundamental principle of democracy is that people get to choose their government, not that the government gets to choose its voters,” the party said, adding that Kumar’s resignation was necessary to restore public trust in the Election Commission.

In the statement, the CJP also invoked the role of Dr BR Ambedkar in framing the Constitution, arguing that every adult citizen received an equal right to vote regardless of caste, religion, gender, education or economic background.

In the statement, the CJP said Dr BR Ambedkar, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and other makers of the Constitution placed their faith in the people at a time when millions of Indians had never participated in an election.

CJP says democracy could only succeed when every citizen has equal say
“Democracy could only succeed when every citizen had an equal say in deciding the country’s future,” the CJP said, and added that the principle was to bring more citizens into democracy rather than exclude them.

The CJP further argued that every government and constitutional institution must protect citizens’ equal political voice, irrespective of their social or economic standing. The party said the Election Commission’s responsibility was to protect every eligible citizen’s right to vote, not create obstacles to exercising it.

Along with this, the CJP pledged to support organisations fighting for free and fair elections in the country, concluding its statement with “Jai Bhim. Jai Hind.”

In the meantime, the Delhi Police has allowed the Congress to hold a rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1 and issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the event, a senior police officer said.

On September 30, the INDIA bloc finalised a joint action plan over the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) row, including rallies and 'save democracy marches', with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge saying all parties agreed that elections should be held using ballot papers instead of EVMs.
Then, Kharge said the party would organise a mega rally in Delhi on November 1.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh said, "The Indian National Congress (INC) has planned a rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1 and had approached the Delhi Police for the requisite NOC. The NOC for holding the rally at the designated protest site has been issued for the period from October 25 to November 3."

The Delhi Police is in constant coordination with the organisers, traffic police, and other concerned agencies to ensure appropriate law-and-order arrangements, effective traffic management, and the smooth conduct of the proposed rally, police said.