Shivaji Park erupts in ‘Gyanu must go’ chants as CJP demands CEC’s exit

• Thousands of young protesters gather at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park despite police denying permission for CJP demonstration demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.

• Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Vishal Bhardwaj, Vishal Dadlani and Tushar Gandhi join student groups and activists at Gandhi Jayanti protest.

• CJP is targeting Kumar over the SIR and reported objections by two election commissioners; ECI says all decisions were taken unanimously.

A wall of police barricades and punishing heat failed to dampen the mood at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Friday, 2 October, as thousands of young protesters gathered for the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) ‘jail bharo andolan’, demanding the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Despite Mumbai Police denying permission for the gathering, wave upon wave of protesters made their way to the iconic ground, carrying tricolours, placards, satirical memes and film dialogues aimed at Kumar. The protest, held on Gandhi Jayanti, quickly took on a carnival-like character, with revolutionary slogans, Gandhian quotations, music and unconventional props accompanying the political demands.

The gathering also drew a string of prominent public figures. Veteran actor couple Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, singer and music director Vishal Dadlani and Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi were among those who joined the protesters.

Student groups including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students’ Federation (AISF) were also present. AISF activists from Pune added a musical element to the protest, playing instruments as demonstrators raised slogans including ‘chale jao’, ‘vapas do’ and ‘bandh karo’.