CEC Gyanesh Kumar Resignation Demanded by Naseeruddin Shah Vishal Dadlani and CJP in Mumbai Protest
Thousands of citizens gathered at Shivaji Park in Mumbai to raise their voice against alleged irregularities in the voter registration system of the country. The public gathering was led by a youth group named the Cockroach Janta Party, demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. High profile personalities from the film and music industries came forward in person to stand with the young demonstrators. The central demand of the protest was to protect voter rights and stop controversial changes in the official voter lists.
The atmosphere at Shivaji Park grew energetic as legendary actor Naseeruddin Shah arrived at the protest ground. He met with Abhijeet Dipke, the main organizer and founder of the youth group. In an emotional moment captured on camera, Naseeruddin Shah hugged the young leader and thanked him for standing up for the people. The actor told the gathering that he deeply respects the dedication of the youth and advised them to continue their peaceful struggle for democracy.
Music composer and singer Vishal Dadlani also joined the stage to address the public directly. He told the crowd that the protection of the election system is not a battle for any single political party. Dadlani stated that when voting rights are in danger, every Indian citizen is affected equally. He appealed to supporters of all political groups to wake up and demand fair election management, saying that without a clean voting system, democracy cannot survive.
Veteran actress Shabana Azmi spoke passionately to the crowd about the sacred value of voting rights. She pointed out that citizens are taught from childhood that their vote is their primary voice. Azmi explained that when ordinary people find their names missing from voter rolls without clear reasons, they have every right to step outside and ask questions. She noted that public anger is growing across different cities because citizens want full transparency from the Election Commission.
The demonstration happened despite the local police department denying official permission for the gathering at Shivaji Park. Police authorities cited traffic movement, public noise limits, and general law and order as reasons for refusing permission. However, crowds kept pouring into Dadar through local trains and buses. Multiple college student organizations, including the Students Federation of India and the All India Students Federation, joined ranks with everyday citizens to fill the park.
At the heart of this widespread anger is a process known as the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls. The youth leaders claim that large numbers of eligible citizens were quietly removed from voter lists across different states. They argue that deleting voters in high numbers can change the results of elections, especially in areas where winning margins are very small. The organizers called for an immediate halt to this revision exercise and asked for the restoration of earlier voter lists.
Public questions regarding the election body grew stronger after recent media reports highlighted internal differences among election commissioners. Reports indicated that other commissioners had raised objections several times over administrative decisions and digital procedures handled by the poll chief. The Election Commission issued statements denying any split inside the office, maintaining that all official steps were decided together by the complete commission.
While Mumbai witnessed a peaceful gathering in the park, the capital city of Delhi saw strict police action on the same day, October 2. Demonstrators who tried to gather near Jantar Mantar were stopped and taken into custody by police units. Over five hundred people, including prominent student activists and opposition political figures, were detained in Delhi to prevent any mass assembly.
The leaders of the movement made it clear that the Shivaji Park rally was not the end of their campaign. Abhijeet Dipke declared that if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not step down from his post, demonstrations will expand to major cities including Kolkata, Bengaluru, Ranchi, and parts of Goa. The group warned that thousands of people would travel to the national capital to start a much larger sit-in protest if their demands are ignored by the authorities.