Kochi: Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday pledged to take his flag-bearing protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to every corner of India, even if it leads to repeated arrests.
Speaking at the CJP’s “Jantar Mantar at Kochi” gathering, Dipke accused the Narendra Modi government of steadily narrowing citizens’ freedoms — first over food, then over love and marriage, and now, he alleged, over the vote itself.
“The fight against Gyanesh Kumar will continue until we get an independent and impartial election system in India. That is very necessary because, under Gyanesh Kumar, elections cannot be trusted. They are being rigged only to help one party, and we have seen plenty of examples of that,” he said.
The demonstration began at Marine Drive and proceeded to Rajendra Maidan, with organisers estimating that about 500 activists joined. Actor Prakash Raj headed the march, while DYFI state president Chintha Jerome was among those present, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Defiance After Detention
Dipke’s remarks followed his detention in Delhi along with fellow CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were allegedly held for entering Jantar Mantar carrying the national flag. He portrayed the action as reminiscent of colonial-era suppression.
“I was sent behind bars for raising this Tricolour. Saurav and Ashu, my two brothers, were also sent behind bars for raising it. The last time this happened in India was when we were ruled by the British,” he said.
“I want to tell Narendra Modi that I will carry this Tricolour everywhere, in every part of this country. If you want to arrest me, you can arrest me in Delhi, Maharashtra, Keralam or Tamil Nadu. Arrest me from every part of the country, but I will come back again and raise this Tricolour,” he added.
Broader Attack On Centre
The CJP has called for the SIR exercise to be scrapped and for Kumar to step down, arguing that polls held under the present Chief Election Commissioner cannot command public confidence.
After reaching Cochin International Airport earlier in the day, Dipke told reporters that the campaign would persist until India secured an impartial electoral framework.
“They first wanted to control what you eat, then whom you can marry and love, and now they have come to a point where they want to control whom you vote for,” he said at the meeting.
Invoking B R Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, Dipke described them as the forces that shaped modern India—calling Gandhi its soul, Ambedkar its backbone and Nehru its mind. He asserted that Modi could never match their legacy, regardless of how long he remained in office.
CJP leaders had earlier been questioned by the Delhi Police Crime Branch in connection with cases linked to protests in the national capital. Police presence was maintained along the Kochi route to manage traffic and ensure the march did not disrupt roads.
