The CJP Bengaluru protest drew actor Prakash Raj, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee and CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke to Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on Thursday, October 8, with protesters demanding changes to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) organised the demonstration under the banner of ‘Janata Nyayalaya’. The programme included a “People’s Tribunal on the SIR”, where participants were expected to share experiences related to voter-list verification and deletion.
The Election Commission of India has described SIR as an exercise aimed at ensuring that no eligible citizen is left out of electoral rolls while preventing ineligible entries. Its 2026 materials also provide mechanisms for eligible voters to submit forms and claims during the revision process.
Prakash Raj, Dhruv Rathee Raise Concerns
Addressing the gathering, Prakash Raj demanded that the SIR exercise be scrapped. He alleged that the process went beyond deletion of votes and affected the dignity and rights of citizens.
Raj also alleged that CEC Gyanesh Kumar was acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. These were his allegations made during the protest and were not established as independent facts.
Dhruv Rathee, who also addressed the gathering, alleged a lack of transparency and accountability from the Election Commission. He said he had not joined the protest for “regime change”.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the agitation would continue until the CEC resigned. He also demanded an end to SIR and called for an investigation into Kumar.
Protesters Display Posters, Raise SIR Demands
Women, students and other participants raised slogans demanding changes to the electoral-roll revision and displayed posters carrying messages including “Error 404 - Name Not Found”, “Don’t erase us, hear us” and “Grand Theft Democracy”.
The CJP also criticised the government’s “One Nation, One Election” proposal, alleging that its broader intention was “One Nation, One Party”. That remains the organisation’s political claim.
The Bengaluru demonstration came amid separate Opposition protests in Delhi, where Congress and INDIA bloc leaders had been demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
The CJP has also announced a larger demonstration at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on October 10.
The Election Commission’s official records identify Gyanesh Kumar as the serving Chief Election Commissioner and show that SIR is an ongoing electoral-roll exercise in 2026.
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