Mumbai: A large crowd gathered at Shivaji Park Gate No. 6 on October 2 for a protest organised by the Croach Janta Party (CJP) against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The protesters demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Abhijeet Dipke, strategist and founder of CJP, led the protest, which had earlier organised an agitation at Jantar Mantar. Despite police and civic authorities denying permission for the gathering, the organisation went ahead with its planned “Jail Bharo Andolan”.

“If Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis could hold a political rally at Shivaji Park, the CJP should also be allowed to stage a protest there. I am not afraid of going to jail. I will come back to protest again, again and again,” Dipke told PTI.

Addressing the media, Dipke said, “We are fighting against those in power… We all remember Mahatma Gandhi, who fought against the Britishers. Did the British ever permit him to agitate?”

Despite a heavy police presence, people continued to arrive in groups from different parts of Maharashtra. Families, young people and individuals from different regions participated in the demonstration.
The protest drew support from actor Naseeruddin Shah, singer-composer Vishal Dadlani and filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, who joined the gathering at Shivaji Park. Dadlani also addressed protesters after publicly backing the agitation. Naseeruddin Shah was seen meeting Dipke at the venue.