India

Prakash Raj and Dhruv Rathee to Attend CJP Protest at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park

By Prerna

Bengaluru’s Freedom Park will host a protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Thursday to oppose the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The event, scheduled to start at 4 pm, will open with a People’s Tribunal where residents from across Karnataka are expected to voice concerns about alleged wrongful deletions from voter lists, followed by a “Chappal protest.” Actor and activist Prakash Raj has announced his participation and urged citizens to join the fight to protect democracy. YouTuber Dhruv Rathee confirmed his attendance after Prakash Raj’s announcement. Other expected attendees include JNU student leader Aishe Ghosh, Neha Bora, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, and various youth and civil‑society representatives. The CJP and allied groups demand that deletions made during the SIR exercise be reversed and that the pre‑SIR electoral rolls be reinstated. They also call for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging irregularities in the electoral process. The protest follows a series of demonstrations across India, including in Mumbai and Delhi, where CJP leaders and student organisations such as AISA and SFI have been active. After the Mumbai protest on October 2, police registered a case against CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurabh Das, Ashutosh Ranka, and 400 others. The CJP has been urging citizens to participate in the People’s Tribunal against the SIR of electoral rolls, stating, “Requesting all the citizens to participate in this fight to save our democracy. Come join us tomorrow, 8th October at Freedom Park… Bengaluru.”